Scaled Heights

Chapters

Chapter 1 An Archer is Chosen
Chapter 2 Training
Chapter 3 Archery Training
Chapter 5 A Contest
Chapter 6 Return to Rainbow Falls
Chapter 7 Catastrophe
Chapter 8 Threats in Baltimare
Chapter 9 Thunder Star
Chapter 10 Encouragement
Chapter 11 Yellow Bolt
Chapter 12 Celebrations
Chapter 13 Aftermath
Chapter 14 Desires
Chapter 15 Let the Games Begin
Chapter 16 Where Did We Go Wrong?
Chapter 17 Getting Back Up
Chapter 18 Persist
Epilogue Three Months Later
Chapter 4 Lightning Star
Chapter 19 Four Archers

Chapter 1 An Archer is Chosen

Spike could never get used to going out into a crowded, shoving marketplace surrounded entirely by ponies, just as the ponies would probably never get used to a dragon who went out grocery shopping. They didn’t hate him or make him feel unwelcome; they just couldn’t help snickering at seeing such a tame, domestic dragon. He could take a few playful chuckles and amused smiles, but they became annoying and grating after a while. So, he was glad that today Starlight joined him. Having a friend beside him made the chore a little more bearable, partly because misery loves company but mostly because he had someone to talk to and help carry the groceries.

Starlight placed the carton of eggs into her saddlebag, on top of the other Ponyville delicacies. The dragon crossed another item off Twilight’s shopping list.

“Alright,” Spike nodded, “so that leaves a bag of flour, and liquid plumber.”

“Liquid plumber? I don’t remember Twilight putting that on the list?” Starlight frowned.

“She didn’t, but we need it. Trust me on that.” He managed not to say that Starlight and Twilight’s hair kept clogging up the shower drain.

Starlight shrugged and followed Spike into the next market stall to get their bag of flour. Sadly, the line had a dozen or so ponies waiting. Apparently, they all had the idea of getting up early and shopping when no pony would be around. With a sigh, Spike headed to the crowded line.

In spite of the inevitable wait, Starlight still didn’t regret her decision to join Spike on his morning chores. Was she annoyed? Yes. But she was with a friend at least. As he and Starlight took their spots, Spike glanced around the marketplace out of habit.

Shelves bore rows of tabloids spurting the latest celebrity gossip that he couldn’t care less about along with sweets to tempt customers. The sight of said treats caused his mouth to water. Starlight noticed his gaze on the chocolate bars.

“Didn’t Twilight say no sweets before lunch?” She asked with an amused expression.

“Yes,” Spike grumbled. “Thanks mom.”

He glanced to the waiting line on his right, hoping to find a distraction. Most ponies didn’t seem to notice him as they talked amongst themselves or read the available tabloids. One tabloid had a cover story about the elusive Bighoof spotted in the mountains of Yakistan. Another detailed the Savage Dragons of Equestria. Spike rolled his eyes. He saw a tabloid resting on a newspaper stand that mutated his annoyance into anger. A photoshopped mare resembling Twilight was on the cover with a caption, implying she was in a relationship with some aristocrat. Starlight followed Spike’s gaze to the magazine. She put her hoof over her mouth only just managing to suppress her gag reflex. She managed to find some humor in the absurd concept of a romantic Twilight, but Spike was angered to no end. He asked her to hold their place and stomped over to grab the absurd tabloid so he could track down the writers and file a complaint.

On his warpath, he passed a mare carrying her a baby in a stroller. The moment their eyes met, the baby erupted into tears, causing Spike to freeze as all eyes in the marketplace turned to the child. The mother placed a hoof on her child, trying to comfort the wailing filly. He felt accusing eyes focused on him as though he had been caught in the act of some despicable crime.

“I’m sorry.” Spike extended his claws. “I didn’t mean to—.”

“It’s fine,” the frantic mother replied without a smile, pushing the stroller away to a bathroom.

Red with embarrassment, Spike trudged back to Starlight, as the clerks continued their transactions and the life of the marketplace started again. The pink unicorn patted his shoulder.

“That wasn’t your fault,” she said.

Spike did not respond. He pulled out his chore list.

“I think I’m going to head to Sugarcube Corner and get those cakes Twilight ordered,” he told Starlight.

“Sounds good,” Starlight nodded. “We can meet up at the castle when we’re done.”

Spike left Starlight and headed out of the crowded field of market stalls and ponies. The pink unicorn frowned at his retreating back. She knew Spike well enough that she could see something was bothering him. When he was no longer in ear range, Starlight heard an old mare in the back of the line whisper, “Where does he get off on frightening fillies like that?”

Her head whipped to the mare, furious. Most ponies nearby tried to ignore the cynical gray mare, but some nodded in agreement. Under Starlight’s glare, the gray mare said nothing more. Wise, considering she tempted Starlight to put a curse on her. Starlight returned her attention to the slow-moving line. She started with a realization.

“He left me to do his chores!”

“Here you go, Spike.” Pinkie Pie handed him the boxes in paper bags. “Two boxes of cakes with one third chocolate, one third vanilla, one third strawberry, one fourth white frosting, one fourth whip cream, one fourth chocolate chips, and one fourth sprinkles. They’ve been cooked in the oven individually, and stuffed with eight fourths love, twenty fifths strife, and sixty tenths ambivalence.”

“Thanks.” Spike rummaged through his knapsack before handing Pinkie a bag of bits and taking the cakes.

“Rough day?” Pinkie asked.

Spike blinked, “How’d you—?”

“I read the script.”

“The script?”

“Let’s just say I have friends on the other side.”

“Okay?” Spike shrugged.

“And I won’t have any frowns in my town.” She slid over the counter and wrapped a hoof around his shoulder. “I’ve got a sapphire cupcake with your name on it.”

Spike managed a small smile. “Thanks, but I should really get these cakes back to Twilight first. She gets cranky without her daily sugar rush.”

“Come on,” Pinkie laughed. “Life is all about detours. It’s never supposed to be a straight boring line. It’s more like a curvy, zigzag cupcake with rainbow sprinkles.”

With that, she reached behind Spike’s ear and pulled a sapphire cupcake from thin air. Waving her hooves like a magician, she placed the sparkling cupcake in Spike’s hands. The awestruck dragon burst out into a big, silly grin.

“Isn’t that better?” Pinkie said.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Thanks. You’re the best, Pinkie.”

“D’aww.” She smiled, “No, you’re the best.”

“Pinkie.” Spike hugged her. “Don’t ever change.”

Their revelry was interrupted by Mr. Cake telling Pinkie to return to the counter, pointing to the ten ponies waiting at the counter with impatient expressions. Some of them smiled at Pinkie comforting their local dragon, while others just wanted to order their cakes right now. She bounded back to the counter and returned to her job. Spike scarfed down the cupcake. No sense in keeping Twilight waiting.

He grabbed the bags and headed out the door, when a poster on the door caught his eye. It asked any unicorn with archery experience to visit the training field for auditions for Rainbow Dash’s team. Spike grew excited. Shining Armor had taught him archery years ago, and he practiced every chance he had when he was younger. The little dragon remembered that Twilight was still waiting. Then again, a pink pony told him that life was a curvy, zigzag cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. Who was he to disagree?

Rainbow Dash plucked three arrows buried in a tree yards from the target. Applejack thanked Lyra for trying out, with the best smile she could muster, and sent her away. Dash dumped the arrows back into the quiver and returned to her chair beside Bulk Biceps. She slumped into her seat, waiting for the twentieth pony who would probably fail as miserably as the first nineteen.

“Dash.” Applejack nudged her friend. “That was the last one.”

“Seriously?” The pegasus massaged her throbbing temples with the tips of her hooves. “That’s all the turnout we got?”

“Well, you did only give a few weeks warning, so not every pony knows,” Fluttershy suggested. “Maybe everyone else is just too nervous to try out.”

“Or they’re too scared of Dash,” Bulk murmured. Dash’s scowling face whipped towards Bulk who stuttered meekly. “I mean— you can be a little—you know…” He did not to finish his sentence.

Dash folded her hooves. “No, I don’t know. What can I be?”

He whimpered. “Intense?”

“What do you mean intense?!” Dash exclaimed.

“Dash, calm down,” Applejack said. “He just meant that ya have a reputation for going overboard. That may’ve scared some ponies off.”

“Going overboard?” Bulk blinked. “Dash, I didn’t know you’re a sailor.”

Dash gave him a flat, unimpressed expression. “That’s not funny, Bulk.”

He tilted his head. “What’s not funny?”

“Oh, it’s hopeless,” Dash’s face plopped onto the desk.

“Hey.” Dash lifted her head to see Ponyville’s resident dragon, Spike, approaching the judge booth, carrying two paper bags. Judging by the scent, Dash guessed he picked up an order from Sugarcube Corner.

“Howdy, Spike.” Applejack tipped her hat. Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps also said their hellos. “What brings ya here?”

“I saw your poster at Sugarcube Corner,” Spike explained.

“That’s right.” Fluttershy nodded. “Every pony’s really been giving it their all.” She tried to smile earnestly, grateful Spike didn’t notice the pained expression on Dash’s face.

“Cool.” Spike smirked. “I don’t know if I ever told you all, but I actually used to do archery.”

Dash seemed piqued. She lifted her head and gave a little smile. “Yeah?”

“You bet.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Shining Armor taught me archery when I was growing up in Canterlot. I was pretty good if I do say so myself. And I do say so myself.”

Applejack swallowed her chuckle at Spike’s theatric bravado, but Dash snorted, “I’ll bet you were.” She did not intend to sound mean-spirited, but Spike looked a bit disheartened at her comment.

“I mean,” he shrugged, “I wasn’t terrible.”

“We ain’t saying you were.” Applejack cast a reprimanding glare at Dash. “But we didn’t set this bow up so ya could have fun. We’re looking for an athlete who could compete.”

“Oh, right.” Spike’s frilled ears drooped. “Well, I hope that works out.”

The purple dragon hoisted the grocery bags and left, giving Dash a chance to rethink her words. Up to this point, she couldn’t remember a single pony who managed to hit the target or had any previous archery experience. Yet, here was somepony, or rather somedragon, who claimed to have actual training from Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Then again, she didn’t see how Spike could be any luckier than the other nineteen auditions. Still, she supposed that as a friend, she at least owed him a chance.

“Ah, what the heck.” She mumbled to herself. She rose from the table and called Spike, “Hey hold up, Spike. You deserve a shot just like every other pony.”

Spike stopped and turned around, “Really?”

“Yeah, why not? Just pick up the arrows when you’re done.”

Spike’s eyes lit up. He placed his grocery bags on the judge’s table. Dash handed him a hoof-shaped arm guard. The guard was a little too big for his arm; it dangled loosely on his wrist, but Spike felt uncomfortable asking for a better guard. Honestly, he doubted there was a guard shaped for a dragon, since most dragons didn’t do archery. He walked to the bow, standing on one end like a harp, and took an arrow from the quiver placed on the ground.

He eyed the distant target and did his best to judge the distance. Spike nocked the arrow on the bowstring and drew back, or he tried to. The bowstring resisted his efforts, and his arm guard buckled his wrist. He managed to draw the bowstring half of its length before he lost his grip. Without the full strength of the bow, the arrow fell into the ground, a few feet short of the target.

Fluttershy and Applejack gave him encouraging smiles, however, those smiles had the opposite effect. They only served to make him feel worse, as though they were supporting him out of pity. Undeterred, he tried to push them from his mind and regain his focus. With a deep breath, Spike centered himself, remembering Shining Armor’s training, which felt like a lifetime ago. He taught Spike with much smaller bows that did not require the same strength to bend. “Well, I’m a lot stronger now than I was then,” Spike reminded himself.

Nocking the second arrow, Spike pulled the string all the way past his ear to his anchor point in a quick, single motion. He took careful aim, and then fired. The arrow hissed through the air. Thwump! The tip burrowed into the target’s outer blue ring. In the corner of his eye, he could see movement at the judge’s table. Rainbow Dash now looked intrigued, staring at Spike’s shot. Applejack gave a small cheer, Fluttershy an even smaller “Yay.” Spike felt a surge of pride at his accomplishment.

Spurred by his achievement, he nocked the final arrow, determined to hit the bull’s-eye. Exerted from the effort of the previous shots, he found his arms trembling before he drew the string. Despite his sore arms, he managed to drag the bowstring past his shoulder, his snout, and finally his frilled ear. He took aim and fired, launching the bolt into the target, managing to hit the line between the outer red and inner yellow circles. Practically a perfect shot. He took a deep breath and rubbed his sore arms.

He grinned at the judges, “Told you I was good. Best dragon archer in all of Equestria.” He shrugged. “Well, probably only dragon archer in all of Equestria but still pretty good, right?”

The judges did not respond to his comment. Their eyes were fixed on his final shot. Spike wondered if he didn’t do well. His pride became embarrassment, as they continued to gaze past him. He guessed they were done letting him play around.

“I’ll just get going then. Thanks for letting me try.” He muttered. Before he could fetch the arrows, Dash scrambled from the judge stand, knocking off papers, pens, and water. She bolted in front of him with a beaming grin plastered across her face.

“You want what?” Twilight blinked, uncertain she heard the pegasus correctly.

“I said I want Spike on our team for the Equestria Games this year.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a hoof around Spike’s shoulder. “We need an archer so we can enter with a complete team.”

“Wait, if you never had an archer before, why do you need one now?”

“Ponyville’s already gotten golden medals in every competition but archery. So we need an archer to get a complete set of medals,” she explained as her hoof slid from Spike’s shoulder.

“You can’t do it?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m already signed up for this year’s triathlon, obstacle course, and tag team race. Not to mention a few other events that've already been announced. I’m not allowed to enter anything else.”

“So why not just drop one of those?” Twilight suggested.

“No can do.” Rainbow Dash lifted her muzzle proudly. “I have four year winning streaks, and I’m not about to lose them. Plus, I don’t have the time to learn archery, not with weather duty and my own training. Besides, archery isn't really a pegasus sport.”

“Fair enough.” Twilight nodded. “But I still don’t understand why do you want Spike on the team?”

“I’ve been testing ponies all day, but none of them even came close to hitting the target except Spike.” Spike’s cheeks flushed at Dash’s praise, as the pegasus gave his shoulder a light punch. “With some training, I think he’ll be perfect for the job.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. Spike gazed at her, leaning forward with anticipation.

“Spike, I’d like to talk to Rainbow Dash alone.” She smiled at Spike and then glanced at the pegasus. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Spike left the room, closing the door behind him. Twilight cast a silencing spell to mute their conversation. Her eyes turned to the pegasus, who noticed, with some dismay, Twilight’s disapproving expression.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Twilight began.

“Why?” Dash frowned. “Because it’s awesome and you hate anything awesome?”

“I’m serious.” Twilight fought back the start of headache. “Equestria doesn’t exactly hold high opinions of dragons.”

She pulled a book from the top shelves of a nearby bookcase, prompting a groan from Rainbow Dash. To her surprise, Twilight showed her a child’s fairy tale book. Twilight opened the book to an illustration of an armored pony with a lance charging a wicked dragon with batlike wings and crimson eyes.

“What does this have to do with anything?” Dash asked.

“Fillies and foals are taught that dragons are evil, selfish brutes. There are countless children’s books of knights, princesses, and evil dragons dating back centuries. We learn to instinctively fear dragons like the plague. I never even thought about these books until I started raising Spike.” Twilight scowled, wondering how she could ever act so ignorant. “Since then, I’ve tried to keep Spike from seeing himself like this, but it’s not easy. A lot ofponies don’t trust dragons, they think they’re dangerous.”

“Oh give me a break.” Dash shoved the book aside. Twilight caught the book before it could slide off the table. “Everypony in Ponyville and the Crystal Empire love him. They made a statue of him and Celestia knows what other Spike-themed stuff. He’s a freaking action figure.” Dash raised her hooves in exasperation, pointing to a nearby bookshelf holding one such Spike action figure from the Crystal Empire.

“They love Spike, but not necessarily dragons. Most ponies only know dragons through these stories or myths. What will you do if the Game Patrons refuse to let him compete?”

Rainbow Dash paused a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t see how they could. The griffons from Griffonstone always compete in the Games. They’re not ponies.”

Twilight smiled a moment, “Good point, but griffons aren’t dragons. Ponies have been in contact with griffons for centuries. The only dragons in Princess Celestia’s kingdom, besides Spike, are the ones living in Dragon Town.”

“Dragon Town?”

“In Fillydelphia,” Twilight prompted. Rainbow Dash shook her head in disbelief. Twilight rolled her eyes and opened a Fillydelphia map. She pointed to a large green section of the town, labeled Dragon Town. Dash shook her head once again, still unconvinced.

“You know, the only place in Equestria where dragons live in a pony city. I’m sure Spike’s mentioned it to you? He went there on a mission with Princess Luna once.”

“Sorry, can’t say I’ve heard of it before.”

“Anyways.” Twilight rolled up the map. “There’s no rule saying the dragons there can’t live in the city with ponies, but the dragons who live there never leave. They don’t feel…” Twilight searched for the proper word, “Welcome.”

“That’s them. This is Spike we’re talking about. Just tell me why you don’t want him to compete.” Dash leaned into a chair. “Then, let me tell you why he wants to.”

Twilight blinked and took a deep breath, “I’m worried for him. All his life, Spike’s dealt with this stigma. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s just there. Some ponies who don’t know him are afraid of him. Remember that birthday incident?” She shuddered, recollecting the giant rampaging Spike. “No pony would speak to him for a month after that. Sure it wasn’t his fault, but some of them still don’t understand that. If you put him into the Games, I’m worried he could be bullied or excluded.”

“I guess I know what it’s like being the newbie,” Dash’s gaze fell for a moment. “But most ponies know Spike. He’s a hero.”

“The only place Spike will always receive the kind of attention that we usually do is the Crystal Empire. Every other place practically looks past him, even places that he helped us save.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” Dash said. She mumbled under her breath, “How does Spike deal with this much crazy?”

“Dash.” Twilight tapped the table emphatically, hard enough to get Dash’s attention but light enough to betray gentleness. “I’m serious.” Her scowl lightened into a wistful expression. “If you put him through all this training only for the head of the Games to say he can’t participate, he’ll be heartbroken.”

She anticipated Dash’s next complaint and raised a hoof before the mare could speak. “I know what you’re going to say, and the answer is no. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were patrons two years ago and aren’t eligible until next year. It’s a celebration reserved for everypony so royalty can’t interfere in its regulation unless they’re this year’s patron. So no, they can’t just wave a hoof and make it alright.”

Dash said nothing. She had no counter argument to Twilight’s educated response, but she did have a response of her own.

“Do you know what Spike said?” Dash met Twilight’s eyes. “He wants to be the first dragon to compete in the Games so other dragons can compete.”

Dash took particular satisfaction in leaving Twilight speechless. It wasn’t often she could confound the bookworm, so she decided to press her advantage.

“He thinks that if he does this, maybe ponies won’t be so scared of dragons. Spike wants to show them what dragons are really like. Yeah, he gets that some jerks won’t like him competing, but he really thinks that if does this, maybe ponies will change their minds about dragons.”

Twilight paced by the table, her head bent in thought. In time, she stopped pacing and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll let him try but on one condition.” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, locking her eyes into a grave stare. “Can you promise me that you’ll look after him like he’s family?”

“He’s practically my little brother. Of course I’ll look out for him.” Rainbow Dash was eager to rush away to the door, when Twilight stopped her with a magic spell, yanking back her tail.

“Dash, listen to me. Spike wants approval. If you push him too hard, he’ll collapse trying to meet your demands. I will know you overworked him if he comes home sick.”

“Okay I get it. Don’t push him too hard. Now if you’ll excuse me—.”

“And,” Twilight interrupted, bolting a latch over the door. “If the worst happens, he’ll need more than a hug or kind word from me to feel better. He’ll need you to stand by his side. Will you promise that you’ll be there for him? That you’ll never give up on him?”

“Yeah. Thanks for having faith in me,” her voice dripped with sarcasm, “I’m only like, you know, the Element of Loyalty.”

“It’s not that I don’t, I’m just scared for him.” Twilight softened her expression. “I just need you to promise so I won’t be worried. Please?”

Dash sighed but spoke with complete sincerity, “I promise to look out for the little guy.”

“Thank you.” She nodded with a smile, “Please take care of him.” As Dash reached the door, Twilight said, “Oh, and thanks for asking me before you entered him. I was afraid you'd sign him up without asking me first.”

Dash stuttered, “Yeah, yeah, no prob. It was definitely my idea to ask you.”

Twilight gave a flat-eyed expression. “Spike told you to ask me first.”

“What? No, of course not—yes,” Dash gave up.

Twilight chuckled, “I raised him well.”

The pegasus bolted from the room and delivered the news to Spike, before flying him to Town Hall to fill out his registration form. The second his quill finished the first and only “e” of his name, Ponyville became the first town to enter the Equestria Games with a dragon.

Chapter 2 Training

Author's Note

If you want to get to the bulk of the story, you might want to skip this chapter; it's mostly fluff and jokes, & some characterization of Bulk Biceps.

Chapter 2 Training

Spike felt a little uncomfortable when Rainbow Dash and Bulk Biceps brought him into the gym. Every pony he saw lifting hundreds of pounds were in impressive shape, especially compared to his pudgy frame. The sight alone made him feel out of place, even more than usual. Rainbow Dash didn’t notice his unease, simply talking about the various workouts she would put him through every day.

“We’ve got nine months until the games. Three of those are going to be spent building your muscle mass. Since you’ll have to shoot a bunch of arrows, the end goal for you is to keep pulling a 40-pound bowstring for over three minutes. Bulk Biceps and I mapped out a series of exercises targeting your arms, back, and chest. You’ll meet one of us here at least twice a day at 11 am and 4 pm. We’ll run you through exercises for two hours, then you’ll break.”

Dash turned to him. “After every workout, Bulk has some muscle building food you have to eat. When you’re not training here, try to get more comfortable with a bow. Drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep.”

Spike frantically scratched as many notes as he could into his writing pad, until Dash lightly slapped the pad from his claws.

“Could you not do that? It’s triggering my high school traumas,” she shuddered, recalling days spent taking boring notes.

“You went to high school?” Bulk asked.

“No, I dropped out and joined an illegal street gang,” Dash replied with a flat tone that left Bulk uncertain whether the answer was “yes” or “no.”

After a few warm-up stretches, Dash led him to the first of many weightlifting machines. Bulk adjusted the seat height so Spike could reach the lateral bar. The drake sat down on the black cushioned seat and started pulling down the lateral bar, lifting the black weights to the top of the machine. Dash added fifteen pounds, which Spike lifted that without any strain. Dash eventually skipped all the way to ninety pounds, but even that couldn’t phase Spike. To her surprise, he managed to lift almost as much as a stallion twice his size could, before giving out.

“Wow,” Dash whistled. “For a little guy, you've got some serious muscle.”

Spike brought the bar down and rubbed his palms. “It's probably from all the work Twilight puts me through. A few years of book sorting and catching whatever she throws in a panic really builds your stamina. Plus I'm always carrying her stuff, and Rarity's stuff, and…” Spike shrugged with a joking smile. “Well, I guess I carry everypony's stuff.”

“Hmm,” Dash hummed in thought. If he was already this strong, maybe they could move his training along faster. With a few alterations, she formed a new schedule, which she promptly showed Bulk. After a brief glance, he added a few exercises to target Spike's back. Dash thanked him and turned her attention back to Spike. “Good news, if you work hard enough this might only take two months.”

“You think so?”

“It depends on you.” Dash passed the clipboard to Bulk Biceps, “I've got weather duty today, so Bulk will handle training you."

“Yeah!” Bulk pumped his hoof.

Dash headed out the door, leaving the two to their training. Bulk ran Spike through some workout machines that the drake could not remember the names of. After four reps on three different pulley machines, Bulk handed Spike a purple band with black foam handles on both ends. He showed Spike countless ways to exercise with this resistance tube. By the time he hung up the rope, Spike felt sore all across his arms, shoulders, and back.

He tried not to notice the ponies on the lateral pulls adjacent to him, lifting the entire column of weights. Spike ignored his peripheral vision as best he could, but he could not ignore the sound of their weights banging onto other weights.

“Remember to count, Spike,” Bulk's voice interrupted Spike's thoughts. The drake realized he forgot to count his reps, so he guessed the number of reps left.

Most of the day continued as such. Bulk would show Spike an exercise and the drake would do twelve, fifteen, or twenty-five reps, then alternate between two other exercises.

When they finished, Bulk directed Spike to the restrooms. Spike tried not to cringe at the scent of sweat siring an unholy offspring with dirty toilet water. The white stallion directed Spike to a line of showers without stalls.

“If you finish around this time, usually the showers will be empty,” Bulk said.

Spike frowned and shook his head. He knew he was short and chubby. He didn't need to shower with other muscle-bound jocks to know that.

“If it really bothers you, I'll stand guard until you're done.”

“Thanks, but uh, I didn't bring any soap anyways.” He shrugged, “I think I'd rather just shower at home.”

Bulk shrugged. “Your choice.”

Spike guzzled down a tall bottle of water he brought along, quenching his burning thirst before falling onto a bench.

“How do,” Spike managed between pants, “You do this every day?”

“You gonna be okay?”

Spike was about to answer, when a cough broke from his mouth.

“You’ll get better with practice.” Bulk handed Spike a bottle of water. “Just wait till you see Dash’s idea of a workout.”

Spike’s body grew cold as a shiver ran down his spine.

“I’m kidding,” Bulk said. He considered Dash’s idea of a warm-up and frowned. “Well, sorta.”

Spike managed a chuckle, after taking a few sips of water before heading to the exit.

“Oh wait, one more thing,” Bulk called to Spike before the drake could exit. “I’ve got an archery book for you to read.” He explained as he rummaged through his saddlebag, “Dash wanted me to give it to you.” Bulk pulled out a thick book titled The History of Archery: Ancient to Modern,and handed it to Spike. The cover showed an ancient drawing of a pony with a bow and arrow on the left edge. To the right were other bows lined in a row one after another. The row ended with a modern bow and arrow on the far right side.

“Dash wants me to read all of this?” Spike panted.

“She did, but she hasn’t read it herself. So I went through and bookmarked the chapters you should focus on. You know, technique and stuff.”

Sure enough Spike noticed the rims of a dozen notecards wedged in between the pages.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “I’ll start reading it when I get back home.”

“Cool,” Bulk said, “So I’ll see you for your afternoon workout in a few hours.”

Spike swallowed his dread, and nodded.

“Hey, I noticed you looked distracted in our workout. You forgot to count your reps a few times and stuff. Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Spike nodded with a shrug, “I was just feeling a little out of place. You know, first time I’ve been here.”

“If you’re feeling uncomfortable about working out with all these other ponies, we could meet early in the morning or in the evening when there’s less of a crowd,” Bulk suggested.

Bulk’s keen observation surprised Spike. He wondered how Bulk figured out he felt uncomfortable around those muscle heads who made him feel small.

“Yeah, maybe that’ll help. Thanks.”

Bulk smiled and offered a hoof bump. Spike grinned and returned the gesture. Together they yelled, “Yeah!” before heading their separate ways.

As he headed home, he could hear the distant school bell ringing, signaling recess was over. Part of him was grateful Twilight didn’t make him go to school, considering some of the horror stories he heard about the education system. He couldn’t begin to fathom how anypony could stomach eating cafeteria schlop everyday or deal with constant stress of academics. Another part of him however, couldn’t help wondering what it felt like to hang out with other ponies his age and to meet some of the other Ponyville kids. Sure he sometimes hung out with the CMC, but besides them, he didn’t really know any other kids in town. Not for lack of effort. Spike didn’t have time for school, not with all the crazy stuff he did. He tried not to dwell on those discomforting thoughts for long.

A whip cracking sound roared through the sky as overhead, Rainbow Dash soared across the sky, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. Spike had never seen her move so fast without her Sonic Rainboom. It was like watching her do something she shouldn’t be capable of, like she broke through limits of the Rainbow Dash of yesterday.

“That’s what I have to do,” he said to himself. “I’ve got to break my limits and push myself like she does.” Spike balled his fists, making a vow to himself and all dragons that he would be an archer that Rainbow Dash and all of Ponyville could be proud of by putting everything into his training. He headed home, prepared to spend the following months pushing himself without rest.

“Hold. One, two, three, four, and release,” Rainbow Dash counted. At her command, Spike brought the barbell back down to the supports flanking the bench before pushing the weight up once again and holding it for even longer.

“Alright, that’s good,” Dash nodded. Spike dropped the barbell onto the iron pegs and rolled off the bench. “You’re lifting twenty-five pounds more than you could last week. How you feeling?”

“I’m good,” Spike said.

Dash moved him onto sit-ups, which the drake plowed through with a single-minded determination. She then showed him a lateral pull down machine. After a demonstration how to use the machine, Spike completed a set of fifteen reps. On the last rotation, Dash told Spike to do as many sit-ups as he could. While his body shook as he entered the forties, Spike still managed a grand total of fifty.

Dash led him to the pull-down machine and told him to do as many reps as he could. She could see the fire in his eyes as he mounted the machine and grabbed the bar. He pulled down the bar, lifting the weights. His breaths were steady as he pulled up and down. At fifteen, he stopped counting. Rainbow Dash adjusted his posture and grip on the bars before allowing him to continue.

“That’s thirty,” Dash grinned as Spike jerked down the bar. “That’s the tenth new record you’ve set today.”

Spike did not respond, he didn’t even turn around. He simply continued with his exercise, his eyes closed into a scowl. With each rep, a breathy groan escaped his throat. Still, Dash could see he had no intention of quitting. He wanted to go farther, and she had to help him.

“No, you exhale when you pull. Inhale when you release,” Dash’s reminder caused a slight delay in Spike’s pattern. He grudgingly took her advice and adjusted his breaths.

“Think you can get to fifty?” Dash challenged him.

Spike dragged the bar halfway.

“All the way,” she said. “You got this.”

Spike dragged the bar all the way down, letting gravity pull the bar back up. Rainbow Dash grinned, pleased to see Spike pushing himself. She’d never appreciated what a hard worker he was before. Yet after seeing how driven he was, Dash actually applauded him after his last rep. Spike, after letting the bar slide back up, slumped over in the seat, panting for air.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Rainbow Dash slapped his shoulder. “Way to go.”

Spike did not respond. Dash lost her smile as she saw Spike’s eyelids drooped over his dazed eyes.

“Hey,” She put a hoof on his shoulder. “You feeling alright?”

Spike nodded, swallowing another breath.

Dash frowned. “You want to keep going?”

He nodded again.

“Alright, but first take a breather. Get some water and walk it off. You’ve earned it.”

Spike slid off the seat and lumbered to the restroom, while Dash checked the last rotation Spike had left today. There weren’t any more rotations requiring him to lift as many times as he could, so he would probably manage it. She had to start her own workout. Once Bulk arrived, she could turn Spike over to him. After two weeks, Spike probably already knew most of the exercises on his own anyway.

Spike returned five minutes later. His feet dragged across the ground, his shoulder hunched as he took ragged breaths.

“What now?” He managed.

You alright?” Dash asked, “Not feeling nauseous or dizzy, are you?”

“I can keep going.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why don’t you finish off with a few bicep curls, the GHR, and a few overhead presses?” Dash frowned at Spike’s wobbling, swaying posture. “Actually, if you want you can just call it a day.”

“No way,” Spike shook his head. “I want to go all the way.”

“Are you sure you can? You don’t look too good. If you can’t do anymore, then you shouldn’t push yourself.”

“I can do it, really.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then. I want to get a few laps in before it rains. Bulk should be here any minute to take over. Think you can manage on your own for a sec?”

Spike nodded, though his mouth struggled to respond. He staggered off into the jungle of exercise machines. Dash had to admit Spike’s performance impressed her. After two weeks of exercise, he proved steadfast, never wavering under the pressure. At this rate, they could start archery by next week.

She headed to the bathroom, spotting Bulk emerging from the men’s room. To her surprise, when she offered him a nod, he hesitated to return the gesture. Bulk walked up to her with a troubled frown.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash.” Bulk only used Dash’s full name in rare circumstances, so it was apparent something was bothering him.

“What’s up?”

Bulk glanced to the ceiling and back at Dash. He gave a brief shrug. “Up is relative.” Dash rolled her eyes.

“I meant is there something bothering you?”

Bulk pursed his lips as he formulated his thoughts. “Ponies don’t eat gems, right?”

Dash raised an eyebrow, wondering why Bulk would ask such a juvenile question. She sighed.

“No, Bulk. Usually, ponies do not eat gems.”

“Usually?” Bulk scratched his head. “Are there sometimes when they do?”

“Look, I’d love to goof around, but I really have to get in a few laps before it rains,” she said.

She moved around Bulk and headed to the restroom. As she reached the door, she sniffed the air. Her nose crinkled, as an unpleasant smell drifted to her nostrils. She jerked back from the door and looked for the source of the stench. The odor burst from the men’s restroom.

“Why do you stallions go out of your way to make your bathrooms a stink hole? Do you all just love the smell of stench?” Dash exclaimed.

“I don’t think so,” Bulk responded. “Though, it would be presumptuous of me to assume I could answer for all stallions in the world.”

“Use words I can understand,” Dash grumbled. “How does someone known for screaming ‘Yeah’ even know words like presumptuous?” She wondered. “What’s that stench?”

“Oh right. That’s what I was trying to tell you. Someone threw up in the restroom,” Bulk explained. “And whoever it was, they’ve eaten gems recently. Do you know anyone who eats gems?”

The realization of Bulk’s words shot through her like a bolt of lightning. There was only one person she knew who ate gems, and he was currently struggling on the overhead press. Suddenly, what had been a source of pride for her had become one of horror, as she quickly rushed over to the drake.

“Stop, stop,” she exclaimed. She wrest the bar from his claws and placed it into its iron supports. Spike looked at her, wondering why she interrupted his final rep. His pale blue face and pained breathing confirmed Dash’s fears.

“Spike, why didn’t you tell me that you’re sick?” She asked as she cursed herself for failing to notice his pain.

“What are you talking about? I feel fine,” Spike’s listless eyes spoke a different truth.

“Stop. You’re done for the day,” Dash went to unhook the weights.

“No,” Spike tried to lift the bar, but Rainbow Dash stopped him by putting her weight on the bar. “I can keep going.”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” She grabbed him and dragged him away from the bar. His hand reached for the bar even as Dash rested him onto a bench.

“Please, don’t make me stop.” His voice sounded begging. Dashed looked in his eyes and recognized he had an irrepressible need to prove his worth.

She brought his hand down and pat his shoulder, “You’ve already done an awesome job. I’m perfectly fine with what you’ve gotten done.”

“I’m not.”

“Spike.” She clenched his shoulder. “If you don’t stop now I’m kicking you off the team.”

That threat seemed to work, as Spike slumped against the wall, defeated.

“Why?” He asked.

Dash scowled, “Because if you can’t take orders, then I can’t trust you.”

“But I’ve got to get stronger,” he murmured.

“You can’t get stronger if you make yourself sick.”

Bulk found the two of them on the bench. Dash told him to fetch some medicine for a queasy stomach from the help desk. The stallion noticed Spike’s semi-conscious state and surmised his condition. Bulk headed to the help desk, leaving the two alone.

“I want to keep going,” Spike coughed. He tried to rise from the bench but the pegasus forced the sickened drake back down. “I’ve got to, please.”

“No.” Dash left no room for argument. “If you even say that again, you’re off the team. Do you understand?”

Dash put a hoof on his sweaty forehead. Thankfully, he did not seem feverish. She reached into her saddlebag and handed him a bottle of water.

“Take small sips,” she said. Spike managed to follow her command. “From now on, I want you to stop whenever your head or stomach starts to hurt. You can’t perform well if you’re sick, okay?”

“But if I don’t give it my all,” he sniffed back some dribbling mucus, “How will I get stronger?”

“You can’t get stronger if you’re sick.”

“But—.”

“No buts,” Rainbow Dash silenced Spike with a hoof over his mouth. “If your wing’s broken, you don’t fly on it. You wait till it heals, or you could make it worse.”

“I don’t have wings,” Spike replied with a wisp of humor.

“You could have fooled me,” Dash joked before taking a serious expression. “But you get what I’m saying right? Pushing yourself to improve is great, but the last thing I want is you hurting yourself.”

“I’m going to be the first dragon in the Games,” Spike said. “I need to be ready.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Dash smiled. “I’ll help you get stronger, but one day at a time. I need you to trust me. I’m going to get you ready without hurting you, but I can only do that if you pace yourself. Understand?”

Spike remained unconvinced.

“Spike, look at me,” Dash forced him to look her in the eye.

“There are countless dragons counting on you, right? If you injure yourself doing this, you won’t be able to compete.”

Spike shrugged, “I guess.”

“I love that you want to push yourself. Really, I do. But there’s a difference between challenging yourself and killing yourself.” She put a hoof on his shoulder, “And if I’ve ever given you reason to think you have to push yourself past the point of sanity, then I was wrong. You’ll be ready. That’s a promise.”

“She’s right,” Bulk Biceps chimed in. He headed towards the two of them, handing a pink bottle of medicine to Spike. “Maybe you can’t see it, but the work out’s been making you stronger.”

“We’ve got eight more months before the qualifying rounds,” Dash reminded Spike. “That’s plenty of time to get ready.”

Spike took a sip of the medicine, bristling as a chill ran up his back and triggered his gag reflex. Before he could spew, he forced down the syrup.

“That’s nasty stuff,” he grumbled.

“If something tastes bad that means it’s working,” Dash shrugged.

“I don’t know,” Bulk frowned. “Mud tastes bad but that doesn’t make it healthy for ponies to eat.”

“Mud isn’t medicine,” Dash replied.

“Actually, the Spa uses mud baths all the time. We find that it can help with arthritis.”

“Okay sure, but you can’t eat it.”

“Of course not,” Bulk snorted. “Arthritis is a medical condition, not something you eat. You’re thinking of artichokes. Ponies eat those all the time.”

“I know that,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, amused. “How could I mistake arthritis for an artichoke?”

“I don’t know,” Bulk shrugged. “They both begin with ‘A.’”

“What I meant to say was you can’t eat mud like medicine.”

“Well, maybe I can’t, but a lot of animals like worms, parrots, bats, and elephants, eat mud all the time to help their digestion,” Said Bulk. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, beaten by the stallion’s logic.

“I just can’t win here.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “You take everything too literally.”

“No, I don’t,” Bulk declared. “I’ve never taken anything that wasn’t mine in my life.”

Rainbow Dash hit her head against the wall. Spike let out a little chuckle. Bulk frowned.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

Spike checked over Twilight’s grocery list one last time before he headed to the store. Somehow, she managed to find more items they needed or that could prove useful. She also wrote up a list of materials to buy from the post office. He had no idea why she needed a hundred more stamps and envelopes. Maybe it was just an excuse to give him chores, he thought with a twinge of resentment. He knew Twilight had reasons to ask chores of him, but it still annoyed him. He swung his knapsack onto his back, and rubbed his arms, still sore from his previous exercises.

Placing the delivery order for stamps and envelopes was easy enough, and he had no intention of carrying that mountain of paper back to the castle on his own. When he entered the marketplace, a junior clerk intercepted him, blocking his path forward.

“Is something wrong?” Spike asked. He felt a twinge of nervousness coursing down his spine.

“Well you see,” the young clerk stammered through trembling lips. “My boss told me to ask you to stay off the premise. At least for the time being.”

Spike’s eyes narrowed, a slight scowl forming on his face. “Did I do something wrong?”

“A few weeks ago, you scared a baby and caused a ruckus.”

“But…” Spike remembered that day with discomfort. “That was an accident. I wasn’t trying to scare him. I would never.”

“We’re sure you didn’t,” he nodded. “But some ponies report you stomped over to the child with an angry face.”

“I was angry at a stupid tabloid,” Spike explained. “Which by the way isn’t true.”

“But you understand our concern, right? If a dragon goes around stomping and scaring kids, it sets a bad reputation for our stores. It also frightens the customers. How would you feel if an angry dragon charged you?”

“Bad, I guess,” he admitted. “Can I just get what I need and go? I can be quiet.”

“Please, just leave. Before my boss thinks about calling security,” the clerk implored. “Just give it some time to blow over.”

“How much time?”

“Some time,” the clerk replied.

Spike trudged out of the store. The tip of his nose and cheeks buzzed with numbness. He swallowed. After all these years amongst ponies, he should have learned that as a dragon he wasn’t allowed to get angry in public. Now, he’d have to explain to Twilight that fiasco from weeks earlier.

“Good morning, Spike,” Fluttershy’s voice called to him. He glanced up and saw Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy carrying baskets from their afternoon market shopping.

“Hey,” he said half-heartedly. He tried to smile back. Fluttershy saw straight through the fake smile and rushed to his side, worried for her friend.

“Spike, is something wrong?” She asked.

He found himself explaining everything, the incident from a few weeks ago, the tabloid, the baby, the clerk, and the dumb markets. Fluttershy rubbed his back.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wish I was there to help.”

Spike shrugged.

Fluttershy smiled, “Would you like to come to my house for some tea?”

“Thanks, but I’m not in the mood.” He tried to walk away when Bulk stopped him.

“What did you need from the marketplace?” Asked Bulk.

Spike showed him the grocery list, which Bulk promptly took. “Go to Fluttershy’s,” he ordered, “I’ll get your stuff to Twilight, and explain what happened.”

“I can’t accept that,” Spike began. However, the bulky stallion already left for the jungle of market stalls before he could argue.

Fluttershy brought Spike to her cottage, and had him take a seat as she brewed some tea. She returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup. Spike thanked her and took a sip. A thousand tastes like sweet honey danced on his tongue. Spike had no idea how Fluttershy brewed such heavenly tea.

“I hope you like it,” Fluttershy tapped her hoofs tentatively.

“This is the best tea I’ve ever tasted.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Thank you.”

She took a seat in an adjacent chair. Spike downed the tea, struggling between his desire to savor the taste and his need to drink the tea.

“Thanks,” he smiled as he licked some tea from his lips.

“Feeling better?”

“A bit.”

“I’m sorry that market pony gave you such a hard time,” Fluttershy said as Angel Bunny took a seat next to her, allowing her to stroke his fluffy head.

Spike shrugged, “I shouldn’t have gotten angry. Then I never would have scared that baby.”

“You had every right to be angry,” Fluttershy insisted. “Someone wrote false news about Twilight. How couldn’t you get angry?”

“I shouldn’t have shown I was angry,” Spike explained. “I should have kept it to myself.”

“I suppose anger isn’t pleasant,” she admitted. “But everyone gets angry sometimes. You can’t blame yourself for feeling a natural emotion.”

“I guess.”

“And some ponies get angry over the silliest things. You only got angry because of how personal that tabloid was.”

“I don’t get why anypony would want to write that about Twilight,” Spike clenched his fist. “She’s saved Equestria and helped everypony, even the Princesses and Discord. She doesn’t deserve that.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Fluttershy agreed.

Spike sighed. Fluttershy waited for him to speak his mind.

“Sometimes,” he said at last, “I feel so alone.”

Fluttershy rose from her seat and placed her hooves on Spike’s shoulders.

“Mr. Spike the Dragon,” she stated. “You have hundreds of ponies who love you and would do anything for you. If you ever feel alone, then go to one of us. And if you ever need to talk, I’ll always be here to listen.”

A smile crossed Spike’s lips. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy! Spike!” Bulk’s voice called outside the door as he hammered on the front door.

The two raced to the door where Bulk Biceps was panting outside. Fluttershy opened the door.

“You’ve got to come quick,” he exclaimed. “Twilight and Starlight are on a rampage!”

“What?” Spike’s eyes widened.

“When I told them about the store asking you to leave, they went berserk. They’ve gone to the marketplace management to complain. Every other pony ran away from them, but the ponies that work at the market are trapped inside.”

“They’re not hurting anypony, right?” Fluttershy asked, “Just grilling them?”

Bulk’s looked flabbergasted. “You have a very strange idea about what ‘not hurting’ looks like.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m pretty sure cooking someone over a fire would hurt,” Bulk exclaimed with a frown. “Plus, where would they even find a grill big enough to cook those ponies?”

Spike clarified, “She meant are they just questioning the staff? Not actually hurting them?”

Bulk tilted his head. “They’re not hurting any staffs or scepters, that I know of. Unless you count that Twilight scepter that—.”

“Employees, I meant employees.”

“Oh,” Bulk realized what Spike was trying to ask. “No, they’re not hurting them, but they’re very angry.”

Fluttershy had to add a quick jab. She turned to Spike and said, “See? Even Twilight gets angry.” Seeing little point in discussing the matter further, the trio raced towards the supermarket, hoping to arrive before things blew even further out of control.

Chapter 3 Archery Training

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Chapter 5 A Contest

Spike’s mouth dropped as Lightning Star revealed his plan. He had to ask the stallion to repeat himself.

“Today, we’re going to be competing against each other in an archery contest and all of Ponyville is going to watch,” Lightning explained. He lifted a hoof, “And before you say no, Pinkie’s already sent out the invitations and you’re more than ready to face off against me.”

Spike’s mouth dropped even further. “What? You really think I’m that good?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “This will show every pony how well you stack up against a champion archer.”

Before Spike knew what happened, he and Lightning Star were facing off in the fields. The outskirts were lined with bleachers, filled by every pony in town. At the left side of the field near the bleachers, Mayor Mare, Bulk Biceps, and Pinkie Pie monitored an electronic scoreboard and timer. Applejack, Applebloom, and Big Mac took advantage of the crowd by selling apple cider to the spectators. His eyes picked out Twilight in the stands. She gave him a strong, reassuring smile, which he returned before returning his attention to his bow.

As the last ponies filled the final seats, Rainbow Dash dropped down from the air and landed in between Spike and Lightning Star, clad in a referee uniform. She even had a whistle, which she promptly blew to silence the crowd.

“Alright, this is a friendly archery contest between Lightning Star, Crystal Empire’s archer who holds the Equestria Games record for archery, and Spike, Ponyville’s archer for the Equestrian Games.” Dash’s loud voice carried through the field. “Today, you will witness seven archery events. The one who wins the most will be declared the winner. First, regular archery at fifteen meters. Contestants will take turns trying to hit the center of these targets. They will each have three shots.”

Dash gestured to the circular targets and explained how each shot would be scored. She moved out of the way and told them to begin.

Lightning Star, in a single movement, drew and fired his arrow. The arrow hit the target’s yellow center, scoring ten points, and earning some applause. He fired a second arrow into the center and scored another ten points, his third shot yielding similar results. The scoreboard flickered, showing Lightning’s score. Ponies applauded, eager for more.

Spike swallowed, clearing his head of outside distractions, and nocked an arrow. He released the arrow hit the target’s center, earning ten points. Spike fired a second arrow and scored another ten points. He fired the third arrow, actually splitting the first arrow’s shaft down the middle. Gasps arose from the audience.

Starlight’s voice rose above the cheering crowd as she grinned at Twilight, “Spike’s like Robin Hood. What an ace.”

Twilight nodded. “A dragon ace.”

Somehow, the name seemed to stick. A few ponies started chanting “Dragon Ace.” Even Lightning Star was impressed by Spike’s movie-worthy feat.

As Snips and Snails retrieved the arrows and pushed away the targets, Lightning approached his student and patted his shoulder.

“See? You’re more than a match for me.”

“I didn’t know I could do that,” Spike said, with pride and astonishment.

Dash blew her whistle, calling them to attention.

“Our next event will be shooting an apple from a volunteer’s head,” she said.

Dash turned to look at the volunteer: a grey pegasus who Dash convinced to volunteer in exchange for a weeks worth of muffins. The pegasus made her way through the stands, tripping over a few ponies, until she came down to Dash. Rainbow Dash realized in her excitement to arrange this contest she forgot to get the apples for this event. She glanced at Applejack imploringly, but the mare scowled.

“You ain’t wasting my apples,” Applejack huffed, causing the audience to chuckle.

“Come on, don’t do this to me,” Dash grumbled through her teeth. She tried to think fast. “Um, change of plans,” she announced. “Instead of an apple on somepony’s head, they’ll be shooting …”

Her eyes darted across the field for something, but couldn’t find anything, forcing her to search her saddlebag. The audience watched her expectantly, and Spike and Lightning wondered when they would start. She reached in and pulled out a bit.

“A bit,” she said at last. “In midair.”

Ponies gasped, wondering how Spike and Lightning could hit such a tiny target.

“Can I throw it?” The grey pegasus asked with excitement.

“Sure,” Dash said as she handed the coin to the eager pegasus. “Just make sure you throw it up.”

The pegasus tossed a coin in front of Lightning Star, and his arrow flew. Unfortunately, the bit was so small that the arrow couldn’t pierce the coin like a normal target, so nopony could tell if he hit the target.

“I’ve got it!” Pinkie exclaimed.

She pointed to a camera, a souvenir from Starlight’s adventure to the human world that Starlight gave Pinkie for her birthday. Dash fluttered over and looked at the slow motion replay, which revealed the arrow managed to touch the coin on its way down.

“Lightning’s arrow grazed the coin on its way down,” Dash announced.

The grey pegasus threw another bit before Spike. He drew and fired. Pinkie’s camera revealed Spike’s arrow hitting the coin dead center.

“Alright,” Dash said. She turned to address the crowd. “Spike’s arrow hit the bit dead center. He gets the point.”

Spike couldn’t believe his ears. His shot was more accurate than Lightning Star’s? Even though every pony cheered, he couldn’t help wondering if that was just a lucky fluke. He received the point for that round. Chants of “Dragon Ace” echoed across the field. Lightning nodded his approval to Spike, graciously accepting the loss.

Bulk Biceps left the score booth. Rainbow Dash and a few of her helpers placed twenty targets in a straight line. Bulk pushed a platform with wheels into the upper corner of the field. For their next contest, the archers would attempt to hit all twenty targets from the platform while in motion.

Lightning Star scored perfect, hitting every bull’s-eye. Although Spike’s shots were less centered, he technically scored all bull’s-eyes. Now he was certain this was just a lucky fluke. How could he be scoring on par with Lightning Star? In the next contest, they had to snuff out a candle’s flame by shooting an arrow into the flames. Lightning Star succeeded, but Spike couldn’t dim the flame. Thus, their scores became even.

And so the day proceeded with stranger contest after stranger contest, each spectacle surpassing the last. Yet, Spike and Lightning Star remained even. When one took an advantage, the other would soon catch up. Though Lightning Star had far more experience and knowledge of the bow, Spike’s training and draconic strength allowed him to nearly match Lightning’s speed and accuracy. Neither seemed to completely outpace the other.

The second to last event was a special event. Both archers would take part in this event at once and attempt to hit as many of the flying disc targets as possible within one minute. To tell their arrows apart, Lightning’s arrows were dyed blue and Spike’s red. The discs would emit different signals to the scoreboard depending on whose arrow hit it. Bulk Biceps left the scoreboard to push a disc-shooting machine onto the field. Rainbow Dash blew her whistle and Bulk activated the machine.

Lightning and Spike sent their arrows whizzing into the swarm of discs. Ponies could not track the arrows with their eyes. They seemed to appear in Spike or Lightning’s bow for a fraction of a second, only to disappear. As the timer sounded, both contestants released their bows and stopped firing arrows. The scoreboard flickered and showed their scores. Once again, Lightning and Spike remained even. The final round would be the tiebreaker: ice archery. They had to use ice arrows to cover the target in ice.

Spike swallowed. This was the archery challenge he would be doing for the Equestrian Games. Lightning Star was the undefeated champion of this event. His eyes shifted to the stands where Twilight and his friends cheered him on. Everypony cast encouraging smiles at the drake. They believed in him. He returned his attention to the targets that Snips and Snails rolled onto the field. The targets must have been massive up close, but from this distance, they both looked like thumbnails.

Rainbow Dash asked both archers, “Are you ready?”

They nodded.

“On your mark, get set…” She blew her whistle. They both drew an arrow and fired.

Lightning’s arrow hit its target first, but not more than half a second before Spike’s arrow found its mark. Ice spread from the arrows, encasing a few centimeters of the targets with ice. Lightning Star planted a second arrow in the target before the ice of the first arrow started to spread. Spike was not so fast. His second arrow came a bit later than he would have liked. He frowned and grabbed three arrows in his draw hand, launching all of them two seconds. In that time, Lightning launched four arrows.

Lightning’s ice arrows were fired more strategically. While Spike’s arrows were clumped together on the target, Lightning’s arrows were spaced out enough from each other to maximize the spread of ice. Thus, he could cover more of the target with fewer arrows. While he was feeling the pressure, Spike maintained his composure enough to launch another five arrows in three seconds, encasing half the target in ice.

He pulled another five arrows from the quiver and fired. In the back of his mind he could hear somepony mentioning the amount of time left, but he kept firing, blocking everything from his mind but the motion of his arrows. He did note twenty seconds passed since they started. Otherwise, he couldn’t see beyond his bow and his target. Spike focused on his arrows, refusing to so much as think about Lightning’s progress. Ten seconds and his target was almost covered in ice. Just a few more and—

A whistle shrieked, ending the spell and waking Spike from his trancelike state. His last arrow still nocked, but not released. He glanced around in confusion, wondering why Dash called them to stop. His confusion ceased at the sight of Lightning’s target covered in ice. Spike’s target meanwhile, still had an iceless space where his last arrow would have gone. So close, only to stumble at the finish line. A lump formed in his throat.

“Ladies and gentlecolts,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Lightning Star won the ice archery round!”

“Thus based on the collective scores, he’s won the contest,” Mayor Mare concluded.

Pinkie Pie noticed Spike’s downcast expression. She grabbed her microphone and cleared her throat, readying her trademarked Pinkie Pie Radio Announcer Voice. “Oh, this has been an exciting day, eh folks. Spike really pushed the champion to his limits. They’ve been on par in almost every way: speed, accuracy, and heart. To think, our local dragon could match a professional archer in only a few months of training! It sure says something about his skills. Let’s hear it for Spike, the Dragon Ace!”

Ponies burst into applause. Spike turned to the crowd, his disappointment melting away as ponies chanted his new nickname. Twilight was the first to rise to her hoofs and cheer. Soon, all of his friends stomped their hooves and called his name. Everypony rose to their hoofs with excitement. He glanced at Rainbow Dash, who wore a proud smile, nodding with approval. Lightning Star trotted over and congratulated his student.

“Well done, Spike.” He grinned. “For a second there, I wasn’t even sure I could win. You’ve definitely come a long way.”

“But I lost,” Spike murmured.

“Are you going to give up?” Lightning Star asked.

“No,” Spike replied. “I just—.”

“Then you’ve won in the only way that will ever matter.” Lightning Star put his hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “The strongest people aren’t always the people who win, but the people who push forward even when they lose.”

He shook Lightning’s hoof with his fist with a smile and humility. Maybe he lost today, but someday he swore to close the gap between them, not out of spite but for the sake of archery itself and Ponyville.

“Spike!” Twilight almost tackled him in a bear hug, squeezing air from his lungs. Ponies left the stand and surrounded him. Twilight nuzzled his head, “I’m so proud of you.”

“It was a good show, darling,” Rarity added.

“You were so cool!” Scootaloo beamed. “I wanna do archery.”

“Yeah, could you teach us?” A filly asked Spike with excitement.

Rainbow Dash edged her way through the crowd. She took a stand next to Spike.

“I’m happy to have you on my team,” Dash declared.

“Listen up every pony!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed on the radio. “To celebrate Spike’s hard work, I’m throwing a party bash tonight! Invite everyone: your friends, your neighbors, your pets, your landlords, and come show some love for Spike.”

Twilight hoisted Spike onto her shoulders so everyone could see him. Ponies he never knew bumped his fist and asked for autographs. A mare who avoided him since his greed catastrophe actually looked at him with a smile. Wealthy stallions invited him to a fancy gala. A reporter snapped photographs of him and asked for an interview. The reporter recorded his every word as he spoke about his training. Every pony he could see was loving on him, idolizing him as a hero. For the first time he could remember in a long time, Spike didn’t feel like an outsider whatsoever. He relished every second of it.

“We should do this more often,” Applejack chuckled from the shadow of a tree, her purse fattened with cider purchases. “We made enough bits selling cider to fix the leaky barn roof.”

Bulk Biceps hoisted Lightning Star’s suitcase onto the train as the morning sun rose. Lightning Star wanted to leave early in the morning, when nopony could see him or follow him. Twilight, Spike, and a few close friends came to wish him safe travels. Lightning Star nodded to each of them, and said his farewells. He turned to Spike.

“Just keep training like I taught you. In a few more months, you might be even better than me.” He grinned.

“Well, I’ll try,” Spike said. “Thanks for everything.”

Lightning Star turned to enter the train, when he stopped short. He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a camera. He glanced at Spike sheepishly.

“Hey, my sister back in the Crystal Empire is a huge fan of yours. She’s admired you ever since you saved us from Sombra. Would it be cool if I got a picture of you and me?” He scrapped his hoof across the platform. “It would mean the world to her.”

“I’d love to,” Spike grinned.

Lightning Star handed the camera to Pinkie Pie, before kneeling down to reach Spike’s level and smiling. Spike wrapped an arm around Lightning’s shoulder and flashed a movie star grin at the camera. Twilight rolled her eyes with an amused smile.

“Say Bull’s-eye,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed before snapping the picture.

A paper copy slid out from the camera. Spike wrote a message on the back.

“To Thunder Star, the filly whose brother taught me archery and is one of my best friends. –Spike. PS: Next time, I’ll come visit you at the Crystal Empire.”

“Thanks so much.” Lightning Star grinned. “She’s going to be so nuts about this. You’re like her hero.”

“My pleasure,” Spike smiled. “Hope I can meet her sometime.”

“I think she’d faint with joy,” Lightning laughed.

The train whistled. The conductor called all passengers aboard.

“That’s my cue,” Lightning said. “I guess I’ll see you again at the qualifying rounds.”

“You know it,” Spike winked.

He bumped Lightning’s hoof with his fist. The unicorn entered the train, which soon roared out of sight. Spike headed towards the training field, intent to close the gap between his and Lightning Star’s archery.

Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight, “Thanks again for getting him a teacher.”

“I’m happy to support him.”

“I think the town is too,” Applejack grinned. “Almost half of Ponyville came out just to watch him train yesterday. He really impressed them at that contest.”

“Yeah!” Bulk flexed his muscles.

“Anyways,” Dash stretched her wings, “Time to get to my own training. Cause next month, it’s Rainbow Falls.”

Chapter 6 Return to Rainbow Falls

Equestria’s team left the train and entered Rainbow Falls for the Equestrian Games Auditions. After waiting in line, Dash registered her team for the 11 o’ clock auditions. She looked across the open ridge. Thousands of ponies and griffons gathered in the waiting field, catching up with old rivals and gauging the new competitors. At first, few noticed the short purple dragon carrying a bow. Once a pony took notice of Spike, however, the realization spread like wildfire. Ponies looked at him with perplexed frowns or amused chuckling, all stemming from condescension.

“Rainbow Dash!” The pegasus went stiff and gave an instinctive salute at Commander Spitfire’s voice. The yellow pegasus approached the Ponyville team, accompanied by Fleetfoot and Soarin.

“At ease,” Spitfire said. Dash eased her shoulders the slightest degree. “So I see you’ve expanded your team,” Spitfire nodded at Applejack, missing the diminutive dragon. “You must be Applejack.”

AJ nodded. Spike felt insulted at being overlooked, but tried to give Spitfire the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she just hadn’t seen him yet.

“Well,” Spitfire smirked at the farm pony, “What did Dash rope you into doing for her?”

Rainbow Dash found it difficult to speak in the presence of her commander. Thankfully, Applejack answered for her.

“I’m in the hundred meter hoof sprint, weight toss, and the long distance run,” AJ said.

“Good,” Spitfire said. “If you ask me, we don’t see earth ponies enough in these contests. Usually, only pegasai or griffons. Glad to know you’re with us. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

“Yeah!” Bulk smiled. “They’ll have to change their paces to keep up with AJ. She’s fast.”

“Bulk Biceps. Still as keen as ever I see,” Spitfire chuckled. “And Miss Fluttershy, how could I forget you?” She nodded to the pegasus.

“Hey, what’s he doing here?” Soarin pointed at Spike. Suddenly, all of them noticed the drake by their hooves.

“He’s my archer,” Rainbow Dash explained.

Spitfire’s team look baffled. Others overheard this statement, and reacted in frank surprise. Spike swallowed. Beads of uncomfortable sweat poured down his neck. Rainbow Dash put her hoof on his shoulder in a show of solidarity.

“You got a problem with that?” Despite her earlier apprehension, Dash didn’t care that she was barking at her fellow Wonderbolts. She promised Twilight to stand by Spike, and she was gonna do just that. Shocked ponies returned their attention to their teams, refusing to challenge Dash outright.

Soarin frowned. “Isn’t he that dragon who roughed up the Wonderbolts a few years back?”

“I would never,” Spike protested.

“It was in Ponyville,” Spitfire clarified. “A giant purple dragon appeared and ran amok. The Wonderbolts tried to stop him, only to get caught in the water tower like a bunch of flies.” Soarin looked away to hide his shame. “We later found out from Princess Twilight her dragon assistant grew into a giant because of his greed.”

“Oh,” Spike’s face turned down with shame. “Yeah, that was me.”

“That was an accident,” Said Rainbow Dash with a pointed expression. “And Spike’s saved Equestria almost as much as Twilight has.”

“Yes.” Fluttershy nodded, “Spike would never hurt anyone.”

“Spike?” The white-maned mare Fleetfoot frowned, trying to remember the name. “Wait, you’re the dragon who butchered the Cloudsdale anthem.” She wished she thought before blurting that out. Now, Spike looked even more embarrassed. She rushed to alleviate her words. “I mean, you saved us from that ice pillar at the Games once. Right?”

Spike’s face reddened, but he nodded.

“You’ll have to forgive Fleetfoot and Soarin,” Spitfire cast a soft glare at her teammates to silence them. “Soarin here still has nightmares about that disaster in Ponyville.”

Soarin’s face flushed crimson. “I do not!”

Spike’s ears twitched as he heard a familiar voice making its way through the crowd. A familiar white stallion edged through the crowd of ponies, leading the Crystal Empire Team to Spike. The dragon in turn greeted his former mentor in his usual admiring way.

“It’s so good to see you again, Spike,” Lightning Star bumped Spike’s fist with his hoof. “How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good I guess,” Spike shrugged. “You?”

“I’m good too. My team just wanted to come say hello. They’ve been so eager to see you.”

“Yes,” a Crystal mare beamed. “It’s so exciting. Spike the Brave and Glorious joins the Equestria Games!”

“Lightning Star,” Spitfire’s teammate Fleetfoot interrupted their celebration. Spike could have sworn Lightning’s usually cool face became red the second the mare opened her mouth. Lightning jerked around so fast that he nearly lost his balance and toppled over. His smile widened when he saw Fleetfoot.

“H-Hey there, Fleetfoot,” he said in a deeper voice than usual. “How you doing?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled. “So I take it you know Spike?”

“Of course.” He grinned. “I taught Spike archery. I’d say he’s as good as me, maybe even better.”

This caused a stir in the crowd. Even the normally stoic Spitfire looked at Spike with intrigue. Spike scratched the back of his head, embarrassed yet pleased by the compliment.

“We had an archery contest a few months ago and he almost beat me,” Lightning chuckled. “I had to work hard for that win.”

“Yeah,” Spike remembered the contest with fondness. “And what you said that day, I’ll never forget. You told me ‘The strongest people aren’t always the people who win, but the people who push forward even when they lose.’”

Fleetfoot glanced at Spike then turned her gaze to Lightning Star. In the heat of the sun, a crimson blush seemed to appear on her cheeks. Spike wondered if he said something personal to the mare.

At last, Fleetfoot nodded, “That’s really good advice.”

She turned to Spitfire, “Captain Spitfire, could you excuse Lightning Star and me? We’d like to catch up.”

“No funny business, I trust,” Spitfire raised a playful eyebrow at Lightning. “Be back in five minutes.”

The two headed to the outskirts of the field.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but ask, “Do those two know each other?”

“Yeah,” Spitfire said. “A while ago, the Wonderbolts did some community service at the Crystal Empire. That’s how they met.”

“What kind of community service?” Asked Spike.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you all the details for the sake of privacy,” she responded curtly.

At the edge of the field, out of ear-range, Lightning Star and Fleetfoot sat down in the grass beneath an old tree. She smiled at him.

“Sorry I haven’t checked in for a while,” she began.

“It’s cool. You’re a Wonderbolt after all. You can’t visit everyday. My sister understands that too. She’s happy whenever you can visit too.”

“Speaking of your sister, how is she?” Fleetfoot asked.

“A lot better now, thanks.” He grinned. “The doctors say in few weeks she may be ready to walk outside again. She might even be able to come to the Games this year.”

“Lightning, that’s amazing.” She hugged him, “I’m so happy for you two.”

His mind almost went into shock. ‘Fleetfoot—hugging—me?’ His body rose several degrees as her fur pressed into his sides. ‘So soft. So fluffy.’ His brain had trouble articulating much beyond that.

“Lightning Star,” she shook him by the shoulders.

“Eh-what?”

“I said; how’s your job treating you? Still getting enough clients?”

“Job? Oh right, my job,” Lightning Star laughed. “Yeah. I’ve made enough to cover her treatments. Got a whole bunch of ponies specifically requesting me to teach them archery when word got out that I know Princess Twilight Sparkle and that Princess Celestia sent me a letter. I tell ya, teaching Spike is the best thing I’ve ever done for Equestria.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him at first. Thunder Star’s always going on and on about that little drake,” she said. She shook her head in disappointment. “I feel so bad about bringing up that time he flubbed the Cloudsdale anthem.”

“Just apologize, I’m sure he’ll forgive you.” He smiled, “You want to hear something cool? Spike took a photograph of him and me and signed it to Thunder Star. He wrote that next time he’s in the Crystal Empire, he’d come visit her. She was so excited she nearly fainted!”

“Aww,” Fleetfoot cooed. “That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “He has no idea how much this means to her. I love seeing that smile on her face. It almost makes me forget,” his voice trailed off. His smile vanished. Images of his former indulgent life haunted his mind.

Fleetfoot placed a hoof on his shoulder, “You’ve got to stop blaming yourself.”

“You know why I can’t.”

The sound of voices from the distant field carried across the wind like faint echoes. Fleetfoot tried thinking of something to say. She sighed.

“Well.” He shrugged with a weary smile, “as you say ‘we got to keep going.’ Thunder keeps telling me to listen to ‘Auntie Fleety’ and keep going.”

“Your little sister is very wise,” she chuckled. A serious expression crossed her face. She pursed her lips.

“Hey, I was wondering.” She made a gesture with her hooves. Lightning Star looked at her, wondering what she was thinking about. “Maybe, we could make it so I could visit more often, like everyday?”

“But the Wonderbolts need you in Cloudsdale,” Lightning said. “And Thunder’s in no shape to travel.”

“I’m sure I could work out something with Spitfire. And if I couldn’t, well, the Wonderbolts could get along without me,” she shrugged. “I could help at the Crystal Empire weather management, or teach flying lessons to fillies. We could visit Thunder Star everyday. Then when she got better, we could finally.” She twiddled the tips of her hoofs, “You know?”

“Fleetfoot. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve helped me and my sister through some hard times, showed me how to use my gifts for good. If you hadn’t recommended me, I wouldn’t be the Crystal Empire’s archer. I know how I feel about you. But.” His eyes grew watery. “You deserve so much better than me. I couldn’t support you. And if anyone ever figured out who I used to be—.”

“Stop it.” Fleetfoot scowled, “That’s your problem; you only see the bad part of yourself.”

“I guess it’s too easy at times,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I’m no good for you.”

“I wish you could see yourself as I see you, as Spike and Thunder Star see you. Then maybe you could—” Spitfire’s voice called Fleetfoot from the field, interrupting her. With a sigh, she rose to her hoofs, “I’m going back. Are you coming?”

“Go on ahead.” He lay against the tree trunk. “I think I want to be alone for a bit.”

“How long?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“There’s no rule against it.” The judge’s annoyed eyes glared at the Fillydelphia archer, Silver Shine. “Dragons aren’t forbidden from participating in the Games.”

“But it’s never been done before,” the silver blue stallion frowned.

“Silver Shine, the first obstacle course rounds are about to start, I don’t have time for this bigotry.”

“I’m not trying to be a bigot,” Silver Shine scowled. “I just want to know why this year?”

“You have some objection? Then take it up with Ponyville.” The judge headed off to the obstacle course.

Silver grumbled under his breath as he made his way to his team. "These young ponies didn’t have any respect for their elders." The long walk felt harder, and heavier than usual. An unrelenting sore plagued his throat. “What am I even going to do after this year?” He wondered. “I guess I’ll have more time for my archery range. Maybe I can open up another in Equestria. That’s of course, assuming there’s anywhere I haven’t already.”

The sound of his teammates calling to him tore him away from his thoughts

“Silver Shine, they just finished judging the first twenty archers. I watched the dragon like you asked.”

“And?”

“That dragon beat everyone. Some folks are saying he just might be faster than you and Lightning Star.”

Silver’s eyes widened. “I’d been planning this comeback for years. It was supposed to be my triumph. My last year in the Games, when I’d take back my archery record from Lightning.” He felt older than usual. His eyes turned to the clouds in the sky, crossing in their eternal journey into the horizon.

“First, the kids move out, then Lightning Star takes my archery record, then Velvet Shine passes away, I become a grandpa, my archery range business expands, and then I’m told this’ll be my last year in the Games.” He almost chuckled. “Funny how much things change in just a few years. And it’ll only continue to change with no end. Almost doesn’t seem fair.”

“Silver Shine?” His companion stared at Silver’s pensive face.

“I’m fine,” Silver said. “I’m not about to let these young folk beat me.”

“What about the dragon?”

Silver Shine sighed. “What are the other teams saying?”

“Some of the Griffonstone teams don’t want him playing. Probably cause his skills scare them. The Wonderbolt Soarin doesn’t like him either. Mentioned an incident where the dragon grew big and terrorized Ponyville.”

“What?” Silver’s mouth dropped. “This thing terrorized a town and they’re letting him compete?”

“He said it was an accident.”

“Whenever dragons go crazy, we end up paying for it.” Silver felt a familiar ache in his heart. “How many more ponies have to get hurt before somebody gets them under control?”

“Silv,” his companion scowled. “You’re sounding like a supremacist.”

Silver’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

“I’d never support violence on another species, even dragons. Forgive me.” He bowed his head. “I’m just frustrated that they can always use that ‘it’s not their fault’ excuse.”

“I understand.” His teammate’s expression softened. “But that dragon didn’t mean to hurt your wife.”

“I wish I could agree,” Silver Shine admitted with a sigh.

“Anyways,” the stallion said. “The Baltimare teams have split opinions about him. Can’t say how they’ll react. Regardless, Ponyville’s probably going to qualify for the Games, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

“No point in worrying,” Silver said as he inspected his bow. “What’s going to happen will happen. No sense worrying about what we can’t control. Let’s just focus on what we can do.”

Silver Shine headed to the archery range to wait for his audition. On the way, He ran into the archer of another Fillydelphia team, a stallion named Yellow Bolt. Silver tried to ignore the loudmouthed caramel-brown stallion, as he taunted the older stallion. Forty years in the Games had given Silver impressive focus to ignore outside distractions. Nonetheless, Yellow Bolt was an archer. He knew how to hit a distant target. A few of his comments managed to reach Silver’s ear.

“I hear this is your last year, oldtimer. How’s it feel to be obsolete? After these Games, your team's gonna need to replace you with a new, younger model. Must hurt.”

“I don’t know. How does it feel to have never qualified for the Games?”

“Check again, grandpa. My team just got in.” Yellow Bolt had an immense look of pride on his face.

“So then you must have been in the 11 o’ clock archery preliminary?” Silver Shine cast a sidelong glance at the stallion, “I hear everyone lost to a baby dragon.”

Yellow Bolt’s grin dropped into a frown. Silver realized he hit the nail on the head.

Silver walked past Yellow Bolt. The stallion screamed, “Well, just means he’s better than you too. It’s only natural for the talented to grow by walking over the inferior.”

Without stopping from his walk, Silver called over his shoulder, “And I’m certain he appreciates your sacrifice.”

Every nearby pony and griffon who heard the exchange laughed, while Yellow Bolt was flushed red with humiliation.

“Well just you wait.” He slammed a hoof onto the dirt. “Sooner or later, these dragons will replace all of us. You won’t find it funny then.”

Silver Shine set his face in determination. “I won’t be replaced. Not by selfish young folk, and certainly not by a filthy dragon.”

After their victory and the long ride home, the exhausted team went back to their homes and took a well-deserved nap. The next night, Rainbow Dash took her team to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate. Word of their victory spread and soon, Sugar Cube Corner overflowed with excited fans. Ponies gathered around them, asking for autographs and pictures. Rainbow Dash took countless photos with fillies, wearing hats that resembled her rainbow mane. Mares asked if they could feel Bulk’s muscles and his secret to healthy exercise. Applejack found herself surrounded by fillies wearing Stetson hats like her, and wealthy stallions offering her business contracts. Fluttershy greeted her fans for thirty minutes, before locking herself in the restroom. Dash promised to get her when the excitement died down.

But the real hero was none other than Spike. Fillies and adults alike lined up to congratulate “Robin Spike” on his overwhelming victory. Somepony in a suit and tie approached him with coupons.

“Excuse me,” the stallion said with an obsequious smile. “I represent the merchants of the marketplace. We would like to offer you discounts on any future purchases you might make with us.”

Spike twiddled his claws. “Does that mean I’m not banished anymore?”

“Banished?” Exclaimed the stallion. “You’re welcome at our stores anytime. Please forgive us if we made you think otherwise.”

An artist contracted him for a painting, and a toymaker asked permission to make toys in Spike’s likeness. Pinkie Pie beat them both to the punch when she presented Spike her masterpiece. She brought out a cake shaped like Spike, poised with a bow and arrow, and a green cape and hood.

Even ponies who steered clear of him ever since the greed incident acknowledged his success. Mayor Mare even appeared to wish Spike luck in the Games. Ponies asked for photographs, autographs, and so much that he could barely keep their requests straight, though he didn’t mind. In fact, he couldn’t help basking in their adoration. Narcissistic? Maybe, but Spike thought he earned it after all his hard work. He couldn’t believe how excited they all were for him.

Eventually the crowd cleared out for the night, Rainbow Dash retrieved Fluttershy from the restroom. Pinkie Pie and the Ponyville team sat in their booth, with Spike rubbing his belly, stuffed from the delicious feast.

“Don’t get too cozy,” Dash snickered. “We’ve got two weeks left for training, and we’re gonna use every bit of it.”

“I know, I know.” Spike nodded. “Still, this is nice. Do ponies always do this for athletes?”

“Just the cute ones,” she said. “You know, the ones so tiny you could hold them in your hoofs.”

“Gee, thanks.” Spike rolled his eyes, annoyed at her mocking his stature

“Kidding,” she chuckled. “A lot of towns like supporting their local athletes. I mean you’ve seen my fan club, right?”

“Yeah. I guess I’m just not used to the attention.”

“You’ll get used to it. Just don’t let it go to your head.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie hopped in place. “We don’t need another episode where someone gets an obnoxious ago.”

“Another episode?” Fluttershy blinked. “What do you mean by that?”

“I think she means episode as an event or group of events occurring as a part of a larger sequence.” Bulk suggested. “Right, Pinkie?”

“What?” Pinkie tilted her head.

“You’re talking about an episode like an incident,” Bulk said. “Right?”

Pinkie Pie blinked and sighed, “Sure. If that’s what you unenlightened would like to think.” She grabbed a broom to sweep up the party mess.

When the group left, she grumbled, “The one time Bulk didn’t take what I said literally. So close, and yet so far.”

Pinkie Pie shrugged as she continued to clean up, sweeping up some leftover confetti and cleaning off the tables. As she readied herself for bed, her entire body froze. She knew what this meant. Her Pinkie Senses were taking over, warning her of a future danger. And this felt like a doozy.

“Oh no. What now Pinkie Sense?”

An icy shiver raced up her neck. Her hooves trembled and her left eyelid twitched. Her mouth turned dry as a desert, her mane pulsed, and an unfamiliar pain tiptoed on her heart. Then, the sensation ended.

“That can’t be good,” Pinkie whispered. “I’ve never felt like that before.”

She raced to the window and looked over Ponyville, peaceful and quiet.

“What was that?” Her hoof traced her heart. “That can’t be good. Something’s happening somewhere and I can’t tell where it is.”

She looked into the night sky, showing the first traces of stars peaking through the night canvas.

Pinkie looked down at her hoofs and scowled, “Come on Pinkie Senses, give me something else.”

A cold wave rushed through her bones, a chilling confirmation of what she feared. Whatever she predicted, it just happened. Something was about to turn over everything they worked for, and threaten their world. She could only fall into her bed, close her eyes, and wait for a dark tomorrow.

Chapter 7 Catastrophe

Spike launched the final ice arrow into the target. Rainbow Dash slammed the timer. Ponyville waited in the bleachers to hear his newest score, eager for the results.

“Thirty-five seconds,” she declared to a round of applause. “That’s five seconds off your original record.”

“I need to do better,” Spike murmured.

“We’ll get there,” Dash patted his shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

Volunteers rolled out a fresh new target and replenished Spike’s ice arrows. He readied himself for Dash’s signal to begin. Before she could blow her whistle, a trumpet sounded across the field.

“That’s the town meeting call,” Dash exclaimed. She turned to the spectators, “Everyone needs to head to Town Hall immediately.”

All ponies, her and Spike included, promptly made their way off the field and towards Town Hall. As Spike and Dash drew closer, they found Twilight, sitting in the front of the aisle beside Mayor Mare. Spike recognized a pensive, nervous expression on Twilight’s face. When he came into view, she grabbed him in a tight embrace.

“Twilight?” He gasped, “What’s going on?”

“It’s terrible,” Said Twilight. “Fillydelphia’s City Hall burned down.”

“What?” Spike exclaimed. “How? When? Is anypony hurt?”

“Thankfully, no pony’s been lost but—,” A horn sounded from the stand, silencing Twilight and calling every pony to attention.

A messenger with a grievous face took the stand.

“Ponyville, I ask for you to be quiet so I may deliver some tragic news. At 3 am in Fillydelphia, City Hall erupted in flames. Ten ponies were injured, including the mayor, who is currently undergoing treatment.

“According to police accounts, someponies saw dragons set the hall on fire before fleeing to Dragon Town. Currently, Dragon Town is under quarantine, no one in or out. Dragonlord Ember naturally denies that the dragons had any role in the crime. Nevertheless, she is searching her ranks for any dragons who could be responsible for this crime and has offered support to the injured citizens.

“If you have any information that could help us find these arsonists, contact your local authorities immediately.”

Spike felt a few suspicious eyes trained on him. When he turned, he could not find those eyes. Twilight followed his gaze. Ponies looked away from Spike the moment they saw her turn. She was certain none of them wished Spike harm or thought he was responsible. Nevertheless, an unsettling air permeated the room. She placed Spike onto her back, made sure everyone saw them leaving the hall together and return to the castle. She wanted to tear out her mane. Had all her work getting every town on Spike’s side vanished in a single hour? “There’s still some time before the Games.” Twilight frowned. “Maybe I can get all of them back on his side before then.” She had no idea where to begin her task. No way would Baltimare approve of Spike joining the Games now. Fillydelphia was Baltimare’s neighbor. Worse still, since the Games were held in Baltimare, Spike would be facing prejudice from the now paranoid pony population. This seemingly small incident now threatened to spiral out of control if she didn’t do something.

She closed the castle doors and went to write a letter to Princess Celestia.

Spike tugged Twilight’s mane gently, “Why were they looking at me like that?”

Twilight stopped, “Who?”

“Come on. You saw those ponies giving me funny looks. What’s wrong with them?”

“They’re just scared, Spike.”

“Scared?”

Twilight sighed, “It’s the first time in years that dragons attacked a city.”

Spike was silent for a moment. He could relate to their fears. But he didn’t understand why they looked at him like he attacked Fillydelphia.

“I didn’t do that.”

“I know,” Twilight tried to smile as she rubbed his head. “And I’m sure deep down they know too.”

“Then why were they looking at me like I did do it?”

“Like I said, they’re afraid. That keeps them from thinking clearly.”

“But why are they afraid of me? Because I’m a dragon?”

Twilight did not answer. Try as she might, she could not begin to fathom an honest response that would spare Spike’s feelings.

“How could they do that?” Spike’s throat constricted. His eyes felt red with bitter heat. “Yesterday, they treated me like a hero. I can’t believe they’d look at me like I’m some monster.”

Twilight stroked the back of his neck.

“I didn’t want this,” Spike cried. “It scares me too.”

“I know, Spike.” She nuzzled against her friend’s forehead. They sat there for minutes, until Twilight felt that Spike had calmed a bit.

She kissed his forehead.

“Give them some time to process everything that’s happened,” Twilight whispered. “They’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

Twilight wished she could believe that. Somehow, she had a feeling the worst was yet to come.

“But why would dragons do this?” Spike asked. “They’ve never gone after ponies before.”

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied. A scowl formed on her face. “Do you think it could’ve been Garble?”

“Maybe. But Ember’s been keeping him under her claw. I don’t think she’d let him slip away.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Said Twilight.

Spike walked home from his archery practice through the market streets. Some ponies avoided making eye contact with him or walked on the other side of the road, though this was not too common. Most still greeted him or acknowledged he was once Dragon Ace, but he couldn’t forget the extremely few spiteful ponies who now thought he was enemy number one. He actually missed the days when they didn’t even think about him. At least then, they didn’t act so distrustful.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he did not notice the pony stomping towards him until he ran into their legs. He apologized, but the pony looked hostile, making Spike uneasy.

“Hey, can you tell me why dragons attacked Fillydelphia?”

“I don’t know,” Spike stammered. Everyone seemed to have vanished from the streets, leaving him alone with this aggressive pony. He tried to walk away but the pony blocked his path.

“Haven’t we treated you all well enough? We’ve let you do your thing. Heck, we let you come into our kingdom and live with us. Why would you do this after all the nice things we do for you?”

Spike frowned, “What do you mean ‘you?’”

“You know, dragons.”

“You shouldn’t lump all dragons together.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Spike struggled to remain calm as they glared. “It’s not fair.”

“But dragons getting away with crime is?”

“No.” Spike said, glancing down the street, hoping someone would save him.

“Just tell me why dragons suddenly think they can attack us and get away with it?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” The pony growled and stepped towards Spike, “You mean you don’t see anything wrong with it?”

“No,” Spike extended his hands and retreated, “I don’t know what those dragons were thinking.”

“You don’t know why your own kind did this?”

Spike’s back touched a building. He could not back away as the pony approached him. His heart hammered in his chest. He wanted to close his eyes and wake up at home.

“Spike!” He glanced down the road where he heard the familiar voice. To his relief, it was Applejack raced towards him with Winona barking. The pony so fond of his power over Spike cowered, and bolted into an alley before Applejack could clobber him. She stepped between Spike and where the stallion had fled. She screamed, “Let him be, ya hear?”

Spike had no doubt she could run down the stallion if she wanted, but she turned her attention to him.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” she knelt down. “He didn’t hurt ya, did he?”

“No.” Spike managed that much.

“I was out shopping with Winona. She must’ve heard ya cause she lead me around the corner. I heard ya talking to that jerk,” Applejack explained with a huff. She readjusted her saddlebags, heavy with apples and bits. “He had no right to say all that.”

She realized Spike had not said a word, his distraught expression saying everything.

“I’ll get ya home, okay?”

They walked in silence to the castle until Applejack handed Spike an apple.

“An apple for your thoughts?”

Spike took a bite. He shrugged.

“I didn’t know what to say.”

“Of course ya didn’t. No pony knows why these things happen.”

“What was I supposed to say when he lumped all dragons into one big, evil mess?”

Applejack knew a lot of things, at least when it came to apples and farming. She was an expert at farming, and could help anyone with farming problems. However, politics and speech were not her area of expertise, so she was ill equipped to help Spike. She labored over her answer before giving her honest opinion.

“You’re not evil. Ya defended your kind, right? I think ya did the right thing.” She let out a sigh, “Some folk just don’t know how to be grateful.”

“But why did that pony think I can speak for all dragons?” Spike raised his voice. “I’m just one dragon, who’s lived my entire life with ponies. How could I know why other dragons attacked Fillydelphia’s Town Hall?”

“Ya shouldn’t.”

“Exactly. I mean has anyone ever asked you why …” he paused a moment to search for an example. “Why ponies are mean? Like that guy talking to me? Or evil like King Sombra?”

She shook her head. “Can’t say I’ve ever had to defend ponies as a whole before. Least not in speech”

“And that’s another thing. Why is it that when a pony does a bad thing like Sombra, no one starts thinking ponies are evil? But when a dragon does something bad, suddenly all dragons are wicked?”

“Huh, I never thought about that.” She shrugged. “I mean, Sombra was just one bad pony out of millions.”

“Alright, I’ll admit that a lot of the dragons I’ve met besides Ember aren’t the nicest,” Spike said. “But they never enslaved an entire kingdom. One of them wanted to become Dragonlord to steal pillows. Pillows, of all things. That can’t be nearly as wicked as Sombra conquering an entire nation, Starlight stealing cutie marks, or Nightmare Moon starting that eternal night.”

“Didn’t Garble want to start a war with ponies?”

“He’s one dragon!” Spike said. “Look, remember when you and the girls had to stop that dragon from smoking up the town?”

“Yeah. What about him?”

“Twilight said he didn’t attack when Rarity tried to take his treasure. He only got angry enough to attack when Rainbow Dash bucked his face. And even then, Fluttershy could talk him down and reason with him. He could have blown you all away, but he didn’t. Why does everypony only ever talk about mean dragons instead of wondering if maybe they’re not so bad? Why should ponies get a free pass and dragons don’t?”

“I suppose it’s cause most of Equestria is ponies. We would defend our own. Sometimes I reckon that means making dragons look bad.”

Spike sighed, “Knights always have to slay the dragon right? I’ve been dealing with those stupid fairy tales since I was born.”

“Just remember I’ve got your back. And so do Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Not to mention Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Starlight.”

“It’s saying something when all you can really do is be there for me.” Spike smiled weakly, “Well, thanks anyways.”

Spike headed to his room and pulled out a comic book. He felt emotionally drained and decided to retire for the evening.

Fillydelphia Hospital bustled with frantic doctors and nurses, who did their best for the ten victims, while also reassuring the families of the victims. Said families had pestered the medical staff for updates on their loved ones, demanding to see them. One mare, Caramel Breeze, planted herself in the hospital waiting room and refused to leave until she saw her brother. Even when her employers at the Four Clover Hotel in Baltimare implored her to return to her desk job, she insisted on staying for at least another week. Her dream of hosting the Equestrian Game athletes seemed like a distant memory.

Silver Shine’s heart went out to the frightened mare. He understood the fears of worrying for family all too well, especially in a hospital. His daughter was one of the unfortunate victims, having worked at the Town Hall.

A stallion walked up to Silver Shine and whispered in his ear, telling him that someone wanted to speak to him, alone. He led Silver into an office and closed the door. A white unicorn with a yellow mane, black suit, and a royal demeanor looked out the window. His eyes fixed on the smolders of Town Hall, where anti-dragon protestors and counter-protestors argued.

“Amber Gem was a hardworking mare,” the stallion said. He never turned his gaze from the window as he spoke. “Bright, young, so full of hope. Instead of playing around like her friends, she decided that this summer she would intern at Town Hall. Everyone who worked with her loved her. Said she made sure the politicians knew the plights of those with no voice, especially dragons. She was actually the one who convinced the council to consider legislation that would desegregate Dragon Town. She worked overtime, trying to help make Fillydelphia a better place.”

The stallion bowed his head.

“I know her,” Silver nodded. “My daughter mentioned her. Called her a brilliant, forward thinking mare.”

“She was there too, wasn’t she? I’m so sorry,” the unicorn said.

The stallion finally turned around. Silver Shine’s eyes widened. A gasp escaped his throat.

“You’re—.”

“Prince Blueblood, yes.” He gave a courteous bow, which Silver returned. The prince gestured to a chair in front of his desk. “Please, take a seat.”

After another bow, Silver Shine sat down. Prince Blueblood closed the curtains and pulled up his own chair.

“I wanted to ask your opinion,” Blueblood explained. “You’ve been living in Fillydelphia all your life and had dealings with Dragon Town. I understand you’ve had some personal issues with dragons. Three years ago you were quite vocal about your unpopular beliefs.”

“I was grieving for my wife. I acted on my heart without thinking about what I said. I’ve done my best to make amends for some of my radical claims.”

“So you no longer believe that dragons present a threat to ponies?”

“No, I do. Fire breathing lizards that can go feral and grow massive from too much greed, it’s not safe having them around ponies.” Silver Shine shrugged, “My kids didn’t agree with me, believing that dragons, at least those in Dragon Town, wouldn’t hurt us.”

Prince Blueblood pressed the tips of his hooves together, “Silver Shine, my auntie and I have had similar disagreements about dragons and ponies. But both princesses believe dragons can be our friends, equals, and even … disturbingly enough, our special someponies.”

Silver Shine scowled. His nose crinkled as though someone shoved a three-week dead fish up his nostrils.

“Dragons are gaining political influence. Last year, three dragons were almost elected to Equestria’s royal council. You see why that’s problematic? Dragons owe their allegiance to the Dragonlord first, not our government. It would be splendid if we could let them join our council and befriend them, but I fear it would be naïve to believe we can ever completely trust them. Especially as politicians, since their greed could make them easier to bribe.” Prince Blueblood chuckled ruefully, “But my views have always been in the minority ever since Princess Ember became Dragonlord.”

“Sir.” Silver Shine raised an eyebrow. “What do you want to ask of me?”

“You’ve seen the protestors? That’s their state right now. Imagine in a few weeks, when they see a dragon at the Equestria Games.” Prince Blueblood shook his head. “You understand my concerns? I fear they might attempt to harm that dragon or Ponyville. You used to know Fillydelphia’s dragon haters. Do you think they would be bold enough to take action?”

“Well.” Silver Shine’s eyes narrowed. He considered the vile insults the mob shoved at the dragon supporters, how most ponies avoided going near Dragon Town. Then he thought about the dragon’s archery that could stop him from reclaiming his title.

“Dragons pose a threat to all of us,” he murmured. “But I’d say the protestors and counter-protestors could pose an equal threat. Many of them could become frenzied and crazy, willing to go to any length to show they belong in their group. If they had the opportunity, yes, they may try.”

“I see.” Prince Blueblood nodded. “Perhaps, the Games should be postponed till next year.”

“No, please no,” Silver Shine exclaimed. “This is the last year I’ve got to compete. I won’t be able to next year, for…” his eyes fell, “Medical reasons.”

“Once again, I’m sorry to hear of your misfortune. I don’t want to cancel the Games either if only to show them we will not be intimidated by these actions. I’ll tell the council how much this means to you and try to convince them to proceed with the Games,” Blueblood promised. “A few of them owe me some favors. I suppose it’s time I cashed in.”

“Thank you.” Silver Shine wiped his eyes.

“Thank you for lending me a moment of your time,” Prince Blueblood bowed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to do an interview.”

The door opened to let in a mare with a microphone and a stallion with a camera. Silver Shine excused himself back to the waiting room. As the mare approached Prince Blueblood, he flashed a charming grin at the camera.

“What are you doing filming a pampered prince like me for?” He smiled at the flustered mare, “I should be filming you.”

She laughed and proceeded with her interview.

“Prince Blueblood, in the wake of recent events, will you allow the Games to continue?”

“Of course,” his suave voice reverberated in the room. “As the Game’s Patron, I refuse to be intimidated by acts of arson. I feel that if we back down, it empowers the fear.”

“And what will you do about Ponyville’s dragon archer? Many are demanding that he be removed from the team roster.”

His lips curled into a half-hearted smile, “I’ve already conducted an investigation of his background. I have recommended Ponyville’s team leader to consider removing him for this event. Not permanently, of course. Hopefully by next year, some of this tension will die down and there will be less threats to his, and Ponyville’s safety.”

“You believe their lives are in danger?”

“Possibly.”

“How has their Captain responded to your request?”

Prince Blueblood’s smile evaporated, like a puddle under intense heat. The rainbow-maned pegasus appeared in his mind with her terrifying scowl, her response haunting his memory. “Listen Prince Blue Bonnet, you’re going to hop on that train, go home, and never step hoof in Ponyville as long as you live. And if you so much as look at my friends or call Spike a threat, I’ll grab your stupid horn and shove it right up your—”

“Well,” Prince Blueblood shrugged at the reporter, “She said no. In rather crude terms.”

“Could you elaborate what you mean by crude?”

“I could,” Prince Blueblood said. “But the censors wouldn’t approve.”

The reporter chuckled, with a bit of discomfort.

“You mentioned conducting an investigation into the dragon’s background,” the reporter prompted.

“Purely for security reasons,” he clarified. “Under any other circumstances, it wouldn’t be necessary.”

“Yes, well, did you find anything that could support a case to ban the dragon from the Games?”

“I’ve only found what everyone already knows,” he said. “A few years ago, he grew big from greed and went on a rampage, where he single-handedly beat the Wonderbolts.”

“Why hasn’t anypony brought charges against him for violence and willful destruction?”

“You’d have to ask Ponyville. In any case, we will consider any options necessary to ensure the safety at the Equestria Games. Even if it means forbidding anyone who might pose a threat to the Games.”

“And do you anticipate forbidding Ponyville? Or the dragon?”

His lips curled into a smile. “If need be.”

Chapter 8 Threats in Baltimare

A week before the Games started, Rainbow Dash’s team boarded the train to Baltimare. Twilight naturally insisted on accompanying Spike. He wasn’t going into unfriendly territory without her. Starlight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had similar feelings and joined Dash’s party.

As they waited to depart, Bulk Biceps did chest presses with a heavy barbell and Fluttershy resting on it for additional weight. Rarity recoiled from the sweaty stallion, spraying a bottle of perfume on her white fur to combat the smell. Through the crowd, Dash noticed Spike checking his bow for perhaps the fifteenth time today.

“Hey.” She waved to him to get his attention. “What’s up?”

Bulk stopped exercising a moment. “I told you, Dash. Up is relative.”

“I was talking to Spike,” she said with a flat expression. “Anyways, what’re you doing?”

Spike shrugged, “Just thought I’d make sure my bow’s ready for this.”

“You nervous?”

“What? Nah,” Spike shook his head. He pursed his lips and swallowed. “Okay, yes, I’m terrified. My palms are sweaty, I could barely sleep last night, and I think I might barf.”

Everyone around him cringed and edged away. Spike’s face flushed red. “Ugh, can we forget I said that?”

“Forget you said what?” Asked Pinkie Pie with a wink.

Twilight leaned over and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve been practicing hard and you’re gonna do great.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

“She’s right,” Applejack interjected, “there ain’t a pony can beat ya.”

“Yeah!” Bulk Biceps exclaimed. “If they tried to clobber you, Dash would pummel them.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “I mean ‘beat’ as in defeat in archery.”

Bulk shrugged, “It’s not my fault ‘beat’ has two definitions as a verb.”

The rest of the train ride was uneventful until they arrived in Baltimare.

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash gathered her team for a final briefing. “This year we’re staying at the Four Clover Hotel. You all know the drill. Lock up your important stuff in the safe, don’t lose your key, and don’t take anything from fridge.”

When they left the train, a police unicorn approached them.

“Didn’t you hear the news?” He jabbed a pointed hoof at Spike. “Dragons aren’t allowed in Baltimare.”

Twilight’s horn glimmered faintly. A warning. She would not tolerate threats.

Spike showed the police his passport. After explaining why Spike was here, Dash tried to move past the police. He refused to let them pass with Spike.

“The city needs him to register in accordance with the dragon registration law.”

Twilight stepped forward, extending her wings to remind the cop who she was.

“I’m sure Baltimare knows that Princess Celestia forbade any law keeping a creature out of any town on the basis of their species or forcing anyone to register with the government.”

The cop seemed disinterested with her display. “Ma’am, I’ve been doing this job for thirty years, I know the law. Just let me do my job and keep the town safe. Interfering in a police’s job is a felony.”

“Don’t test me.” Twilight’s horn flared with electric sparks. “Princess Celestia’s laws override any of Fillydelphia’s. And as the Princess of Friendship, my authority exceeds yours.”

The police chewed the tips of his moustache.

She glowered, “You will not put Spike or any other creature through unlawful registration. Or I will report Baltimare for insubordination, and I’ll have you fired and imprisoned for harassing dragons.”

“Fine,” the police snorted. He pointed at Spike. “But I’ll be watching you, lizard.”

“Don’t mind him, Spike,” Rainbow Dash said as he marched off. “He’s just a jerk being a jerk.”

“For a jerk, he needs to work on his insults. ‘Lizard,’” Spike rolled his eyes. “How original, I’ve never gotten that before. Anyways, thanks for standing up for me.”

Bulk tilted his head. “But you’re standing up right now. Why’d you need us to do it?”

Rainbow Dash slapped her forehead and groaned.

“Dash, stop hitting yourself. It’s not healthy,” Bulk said with concern.

Twilight frowned, lost in thought. “You all go ahead to the hotel. I’m going to talk to the Mayor to make sure he doesn’t break any more national laws. Then, I think I’ll have a little talk with the chief of police.” With that, she headed towards the Mayor’s building.

As they walked through the streets, Spike noticed several ponies staring at him or going out of their ways to avoid him, more so than any did in Ponyville. Some whispered threats or slurs. Parents scowled at him before leading their children away. Fillies pointed at him like he was a hideous zit. When he came near stores or bakeries, they shut their doors or rolled down the window curtains.

Rainbow Dash made sure every pony could see her walking beside Spike. That discouraged any violence. Starlight and Bulk Biceps also kept close to Spike. If they caught anyone scowling at Spike, Starlight’s horn would shimmer in a warning or Bulk would return their scowl and flex his muscles. Starlight reminded Spike that she, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie reserved hotel rooms on the same floor. If he ever felt threatened or scared, he could come visit.

Rainbow Dash kept talking, “There’ll be teams from other cities there who’ll want to scout out the competition. See how you’ve improved in the last few weeks. Don’t let them get too much of an idea how good you are.”

“Are we still training?” Spike asked

“Only from 4 to 6 pm. That’s when I reserved the stadium for us.” She replied.

They reach the tall hotel and Rainbow Dash brought the group to the front desk.

“Hey!” She rang the counter bell. “We’re the Ponyville athletes here for the Equestria Games.”

A clerk rushed to the desk, “Hello, my name is Caramel Breeze. Can I have your names?”

Dash introduced her team. The clerk noticed Spike and froze, her body trembled, as she swallowed a scream.

“Something wrong?” Applejack gave a soft glare

“You didn’t say you were bringing a dragon.”

“Did it matter?” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

Caramel exchanged a glance with her superior as he entered the other side of the room. She gestured to Spike with her eyes. Her boss looked at Spike as though someone shoved a carton of rotten eggs up his nose. He shook his head, pointed to the dragon and then to the exit.

“Given recent events.” Caramel straightened her glasses. “It does. I’m afraid we can’t serve him here.”

“Excuse me.” Rainbow Dash scowled. “You want to run that by me again?”

“We reserve the right to reject our customers should they pose a threat to safety of hotel personnel or other guests. Please move him along and stop holding up the line.”

“The Games patron already paid for all of our rooms. How do you plan to explain why one of my athletes wasn’t allowed into the room that he paid for?”

“The rooms are doubles. I was under the impression Mr. Biceps was going in the same room. Given that the room will still have an occupant, I see no real issue.”

“No issue? No issue?” Starlight’s fur began to bristle. Air crackled around her. “You’re refusing to serve a citizen of Equestria, my friend, and a national hero. And you think there’s no issue?”

“He’s a dragon.” Caramel half-cried. “We don’t want him here.”

“Tell me,” Rarity snarled, “have you become so empty-headed that your vacuous mind can’t recognize the dragon who saved the Crystal Empire from the tyrant Sombra?”

“Have you forgotten what happened to my brother in Fillydelphia? I can never allow dragons into this establishment.” Angry tears poured down her face. “I can’t trust them again.”

“I’m sorry about your brother,” Fluttershy smiled politely. “But you have to realize that wasn’t our Spike. You can’t blame him for what someone else did. So please, won’t you let him stay?”

“I—I can’t.”

“Oh, so you’ll serve us but you won’t serve the hero of the Crystal Empire?” Pinkie Pie slammed her hooves on the desk and moved eye to eye with the sweating clerk. “Lady, you’re going to stop treating my friend like trash or I’ll just have to tell your customers that your cooks make your famous ‘clover cupcakes’ without washing their bare, dirty hooves.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity gagged. A stallion heard Pinkie’s accusation, as he was about to bite into a clover cupcake, before flinging it into a trashcan.

Caramel stuttered, “They do? I didn’t—. How did you—?”

“I work with sweets, lady. I can smell filthy cupcakes a mile away. This is a direct health code violation and I should know. So Spike.” She turned to him, “You’ve worked with Twilight and Princess Celestia so I’m sure you can remind me. What’s the penalty for selling unsanitary food?”

“Wait, you win.” The clerk dropped Spike’s key on the desk

“That’s what I thought.” Pinkie Pie gave Spike his key before turning to the clerk, “And don’t try this again. You’ve got plenty of secrets that could drive away your customers in a minute.”

The clerk swallowed but nodded.

“Thanks.” Spike said to Pinkie, feeling a bit disheartened by his treatment

“Sorry you had to see that,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “I can’t make everyone happy.”

After getting their keys, Rainbow Dash told them to meet up in the lobby in two hours before they headed to the training arena. Rarity and Starlight walked Spike to his room and left him with Bulk.

Spike collapsed onto the bed. He had a feeling it was going to be a long week.

After a minute of silence, Bulk Biceps cleared his throat, getting Spike to look at him.

“I know you like Power Ponies, so I got you this.” Bulk handed Spike a new comic book.

“Thanks.” Spike gave a small smile as he took the book. “I haven’t been keeping up with their adventures as much as I’d like. Just been busy training and stuff.”

Bulk opened a book of his own titled Common Expressions that Even a Filly Should Know.

“That’s an interesting book you’ve got there,” Spike said.

“Dash told me to read it,” Explained Bulk.

“Have you learned anything good?”

“Honestly, it just confuses me. I don’t get how ‘what’s up’ is an expression.” Bulk pointed at a book page. “How do you say ‘what’s up’ with your face? You’d have to be a genius to read that in a pony’s face.”

“It’s a verbal expression not a facial expression.” Spike chuckled. “‘It’s just something ponies say when they want to ask how someone’s doing, how they’re feeling, or to just say hello.”

Bulk blinked and frowned, “Okay, but how do you know which one of those they mean?”

Spike opened his mouth to respond but then closed it. “Actually, I have no clue.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling.” Bulk rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve never been a detective either.”

Spike shrugged, “Yeah. Maybe then I could figure out what happened at Fillydelphia.”

“It wasn’t your fault, I know that much.”

“Thanks.” Spike fell onto his bed and looked at the ceiling. He twiddled his fingers.

“Sorry they’ve been mean to you,” Bulk said. “Ponies used to bully me all the time too.”

“You?” Spike raised an eyebrow.

“I was a chubby colt with moth-sized wings, an irrational fear of butterflies, and a single mom who was a florist,” Bulk said as he lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. “I wasn’t exactly popular.”

“I’m sorry,” Spike said. “I think you’re pretty cool.”

Bulk tilted his head. “I’m cold?”

“Not cool as in temperature. I mean cool as in you’re awesome.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Bulk smiled. “I think you’re pretty ‘cool’ too. And honestly, I think that’s all that matters: that you like yourself and have friends who like you for all your pros and cons. Cause, you know, just one person can make all the difference to your life, like my mom did for me. I never would have gotten stronger if she hadn’t kept telling me to keep training and not to worry about what ponies said.”

Spike never heard Bulk talk about his mom. He felt like he saw a new side to the muscular stallion, one that he identified with. It wasn’t hard for Spike to draw parallels between Bulk’s mom and Twilight. Spike doubted he could have survived without her constant support.

Spike stared at the white, bumpy ceiling.

“You know,” he shrugged, “I was totally willing to leave the hotel so there wouldn’t be any trouble.”

Bulk looked at him, almost offended.

“We’re a team, a family. No one gets left behind.”

Spike couldn’t think of anything to say, so he smiled and turned to his book.

After two days, most of the other teams had arrived. To Spike’s excitement, he got to meet Lightning Star’s team in the lobby and catch up with his mentor. Lightning heard about the ponies mistreating Spike and was obviously upset to hear about it. However, he was less upset to spend spent half an hour with Twilight discussing a recent archeological discovery, much to Dash’s chagrin. Both Fillydelphia teams were not too pleased seeing a dragon out of quarantine. Yellow Bolt actually demanded to know why Spike wasn’t in prison for breaking the quarantine. Before Twilight or Starlight could say a word, the Crystal Empire team rushed to Spike’s defense. Lightning Star reminded the loudmouthed stallion that Spike was a hero to the world and earned the right to be there.

The stallion gave a half-hearted apology and left. The rest of his team followed, but not before giving Spike some nasty looks.

“Don’t mind Yellow Bolt,” Lightning scowled. “He’s just scared of losing cause he knows you’re a better archer than him.”

A silver furred, elderly stallion with Fillydelphia’s second team snorted. “Yellow Bolt may be arrogant and jealous, but he has a point.”

“Silver Shine, don’t,” one of his teammates groaned.

He turned to Twilight, “You shouldn’t have brought a dragon to Fillydelphia’s sister city. That’s just asking for trouble.”

Starlight’s blue magic aura surrounded the stallion.

“Is that a threat?” She glared.

Twilight ordered her to release the stallion, so Starlight did with reluctance.

“It’s a fact.” The stallion steadied himself from the aftereffects of Starlight’s spell. “You’ve angered Fillydelphia, Baltimare, and Manehatten, and ponies tend to do bad things when they’re angry. Whatever happens next is your fault, Ponyville.”

“Leave my friends alone.” Spike balled his fists. “It’s my decision to stay and my decision to compete. You want to blame someone for what hasn’t even happened? Blame me, if it makes you feel better. But you don’t blame my family.”

“They almost cancelled the Games because of you.” Silver Shine scowled. “Did you know that?”

Spike flinched. Lightning Star and Dash went wide-eyed with disbelief.

Silver shook his head, “I guess not. Well, you’re not taking away my last Game from me.”

“Your last?” Lightning’s jaw dropped. “You’re retiring? But why? You’ve been in the Games before I was even born.”

Silver’s eyes became downcast. “Sooner or later, your body stops working like it should. Then, it starts betraying you.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Lightning narrowed his eyes. “That still doesn’t give you any excuse to threaten Spike.”

“It’s not a threat.” Silver Shine rolled his eyes, “Don’t blame me when other ponies lose control and lash out at him.”

“I’m right here,” Spike waved his arms. “You don’t need to talk about me like I’m not here. And I have a name, jerkwad.”

“You know, you remind me of Yellow Bolt.” Silver said to Spike. “You don’t seem to care about anyone but yourself. You rush forward, never mind how your actions could hurt others.”

“Spike isn’t like that at all,” Lightning exclaimed.

Silver glanced at Lightning, “Don’t forget you work on my archery range. I didn’t have to hire you all those years ago, but I did because you said you wanted to turn your life around. Don’t make me regret it by acting foolishly.”

“I’m grateful for the job you gave me,” Lightning said. “But I can’t stand by and watch you talk to Spike like this.”

“Don’t side with them.” Silver looked with a wearied expression, as though he tired of arguing with Lightning. “It’s only going to lead to trouble.”

“Enough,” Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground. “I appreciate your concern and will do my best to protect Spike. Now leave us alone.”

“He’s not the only one who’ll need protection.” Silver Shine shrugged.

“Silver, that’s enough,” Lightning Star raised his voice. “Spike has just as much right to be here as you or me. I don’t want to hear you talking to Spike like that again. You, or your dragon-hating, pony supremacists.”

“You think I’m still one of them?” Silver’s eyes widened. “I left that life behind years ago.”

“You sure don’t act like it.”

“I’ve owned up to my mistakes. I don’t deny the stallion I used to be or how that stallion nearly destroyed my family. But I won’t let my past stop me from living my life or doing what I think is right. Can you say the same, Party Fever?”

Silver Shine turned and left the lobby with his teammates for their practice. His words haunted Lightning Star.

“Um, Lightning?” Dash tilted her head, “Why did that old coot call you Party Fever?”

“I don’t know.” He did not meet their gaze.

“But…” Starlight frowned. “He acted like he knew something about you.”

“He ought to,” Lightning said. “Three years ago I broke his ice archery record. And I teach at one of his archery ranges.”

“Lightning.” Spike touched the white stallion’s leg. “Whoever you were, doesn’t matter to me. You’re my friend.”

“Thanks,” Lightning bumped Spike’s fist. “Would you still be if you knew?” He wondered.

Their afternoon training would have been uneventful, had Starlight not discovered the spy. She recognized the faint outline of a pony in the shadow of the stands and tried to catch them, but they vanished in a flash of light. Rainbow Dash told Starlight not to worry, claiming it was probably a spy from another team checking out the competition. Twilight however, insisted they post guards from now on.

Dinner at the hotel was a more unpleasant affair. Normally, the teams would talk between each other, catch up, and wish each other luck before the Games. This was when they were no longer different teams; they were ponies celebrating the lucky few who made it to the Games. But now, tense silence permeated the room. Ponies were only comfortable sitting beside their own teammates. They cast sidelong glances at Ponyville and Spike when he wasn’t looking, though he knew they were glaring at him. He wasn’t really hungry with all of this tension, and almost wished somepony would say something, anything, and break this awful silence. Unfortunately, somepony did.

“Sure is nice to be eating together,” Yellow Bolt sneered, “or it would be if some pony talked.”

“Bolt, just stop.” One of his teammates sighed, “Nopony wants to talk.”

“I do. I’m sure all of you do,” he gestured to the gathered ponies. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do when we eat together? What gives? Come on, Dark Spectre,” he glanced at a dark-gray mare on the Manehatten team. “Even you can’t like all this quiet.”

She did not acknowledge him, and continued eating her meal as though Bolt never spoke.

“The ghost remains silent, huh?” He stuffed lettuce into his mouth. “I guess that’s a lesson to all of us. We can’t go back to the way things used to be, can we?” He glanced at Rainbow Dash, “Thanks for that.”

Dash rose to her hoofs, “If you’ve got something to say about my team then keep it to yourself, Ye old Butt.”

Yellow Bolt’s face reddened with anger.

Twilight lifted a hoof for silence, “Look, we’re all tired and cranky. Let’s just call it a night.”

“What are you thinking letting a dragon compete?” A green mare growled. Twilight clenched her eyes and gritted her teeth, dreading the inevitable argument.

“Finally,” Yellow Bolt exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “Somepony said it.”

“It’s my team.” Dash said, “Mind your own business.”

“But it’s the Equestria Games, not the Ponies and Dragons Games.”

“Yeah,” A griffon added, “this is a ponies and griffons only event.”

“Last I checked it’s called the Equestria Games, as in all of Equestria.” Rarity turned her head in scorn. “Spike is an Equestria citizen.”

“Have you dolts forgotten what happened in Fillydelphia?” Said a blue stallion beside Dark Spectre.

“I didn’t do that,” Spike protested. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m small, can’t breathe all that much fire at once. Not to mention, I can’t travel from Fillydelphia to Ponyville on my own. No wings.”

“He’s still a dragon.” The stallion scowled, “How can we trust anything he says?”

“Oh, grow up,” Fleetfoot scoffed. “Being a dragon has nothing to do with how much you lie.”

“What happened in Fillydelphia had nothing to do with him,” Twilight said.

“Are you sure? Maybe he’s friends with those arsonists.”

“Spike was with us all day in Ponyville,” Pinkie said. “He couldn’t have been near Fillydelphia.”

“Unless someone teleported him,” the stallion glared at Twilight and Starlight.

Lightning Star stood up with the rest of his team. “Sky Chaser, you’re out of line. Spike is a hero with as much right to be here as anypony.”

“And these ponies from Ponyville are heroes to Equestria,” Fleetfoot added. “None of us would be standing here if it weren’t for them. Show some respect.”

“We shouldn’t be arguing,” Spitfire’s voice silenced the room. “This is a time for us to wish each other luck before the Games. Not to squabble like children.”

“I agree.” Spitfire raised an eyebrow at Yellow Bolt. She wasn’t expecting the anarchist of the evening to agree with her. He looked at the Wonderbolt and said, “I’ve never been here before today, but even I know what the team dinner should be like. No divides, no arguments, just several teams putting aside their differences for an evening. This is a time for us to come together.” He shook his head. “But we can’t, and we won’t,” Bolt said as though it was a sick joke.

“Enough,” Silver Shine ordered. “Since our teams can’t eat together without being at each other’s throats, I suggest we eat separately.”

“Fine by me,” Sky Chaser huffed as he picked up his plate, “I don’t want to look at those lizard-loving traitors who’d let my daughter get burned.”

The teams split up to different parts of the dining hall. Soon, only Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, and Cloudsdale teams remained at the table, though they still could not speak.

“I hate to say it, but Bolt is right.” Spitfire glanced at Spike and sighed. Then, she turned to Dash with disappointment in her eyes. “You shouldn’t have brought him here.”

With that, Spitfire excused herself and returned to her room, leaving her teammates behind.

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean that,” Fleetfoot tried to console Rainbow Dash and Spike. “She’s just upset seeing us fight. Right, Soarin?”

Soarin left the table without a word, without looking at a single pony or dragon.

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Fleetfoot apologized.

He shrugged, “It’s fine.” The lie hung on his mouth. He turned over his salad with a fork, a glum expression set on his face.

Lightning Star wanted to change the subject, so he asked Twilight’s opinion about the historical accuracy of a movie set in ancient times. The two had a half-hearted discussion for a few minutes that faded into silence.

“So Lightning,” Fleetfoot broke the silence, “how’s Thunder Star?”

“Great, actually.” Lightning smiled. “She’s in town right now. I made enough money to pay for a train ride here.”

“That’s great.” Fleetfoot grinned. “I know she’s always wanted to watch the Games.”

Lightning scratched the back of his neck. “She can’t come to the Games yet, but I’m sure she’ll watch it on TV.”

“Excuse me.” Rarity blinked. “Who is Thunder Star?”

“My little sister,” Lightning explained.

Spike chimed in. “So I take it Fleetfoot knows her?”

“We met a few years ago,” Fleetfoot nodded. “Anyways, I’ll come visit her when I have the time.”

“Me too,” Spike added. “If it’s not any trouble.”

Lightning chuckled, “Oh, believe me, she’d love to meet you. But I’d have to arrange a time and get the doctor’s permission, which might take a while. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Sure thing,” Spike grinned. Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the mention of a doctor, but she decided not to press the issue.

After dinner, Twilight walked Spike and Bulk back to their room on the first floor. She wanted to ensure their safety after that tense evening. They opened the door and turned on the lights. A shiver rushed through Twilight’s heart as her eyes beheld a ghastly sight. The room was trashed. Torn bed sheets, pillow stuffing lined the floor like confetti, the window to the balcony and bathroom mirror smashed to pieces. Across the walls, some malicious creature spray painted threats directed at Spike. A black image of a dragon hung from a noose, threats to his family, and to him.

Go Bak to Drgonlnds.

Leser Being.

MonstRs don’t belng here.

Go die lzard.

Brned ny kids?

Spike and Bulk stared at the chaos in horror. The dragon circled through the room, reading every message. Spike felt splintered fiber brush against his foot. He glanced down and picked up a long, curved fiber piece: his bow broken in half. All of his belongings had been destroyed; the comic Bulk gave him, ripped to shreds, Rarity’s arm guard broken beyond all recognition, even his insignificant toothbrush was snapped in two. He ran a claw over the arm guard that Rarity painstakingly crafted. It looked like something dragged through a shredder and tossed in a fire. The message We Believe in You had been scratched away, meticulously torn apart by a furious knife. Now, he could only read No MonStrs in Gam.

Her friends rushed to Twilight’s side when she screamed and Lightning Star and the Crystal Empire came soon after. Their eyes widened and gasps escaped their mouths.

Lightning turned to his teammates, “Wake up Spitfire and get hotel management. Tell them there’s been a ransacking.”

His friends ran off, and Lightning quickly joined Twilight and her friends around Spike. She pulled him away from the room, out into the hallway.

She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“Twilight,” Starlight finally said. “We need to move Spike to our room.”

The alicorn nodded.

“I’ve got an inflatable mattress in my room,” Lightning said to Bulk. “You can sleep there if you’d like.”

Bulk managed to say thanks, as Rarity picked up the scraps of the arm guard and bow.

“It’s not so bad,” Rarity tried to comfort Spike. “With a little magic, I can make them good as new.” Despite her optimism, she could already tell the violent message reached Spike.

Spitfire came to the scene in her nightgown. She took one look at the room and scowled, infuriated this crime took place under her watch during what should have been a time of peace. The hotel clerk Caramel Breeze arrived and saw the trashed room.

She looked at Spike, clutching Twilight’s fur in a terrified embrace. Caramel’s throat constricted with sharp pains as his sobs touched her heart. Spitfire turned on her with sharp eyes.

“You, you work for the hotel, right?”

“Y-yes.”

“I need to see security tapes and a list of all personnel in the building.”

Spitfire glanced again at the little dragon, held in Twilight’s hooves and surrounded by his friends. Twilight led him away from the mess. Spitfire’s sad eyes repeated her earlier message to Dash once again: “You shouldn’t have brought him here.” She left Dash and followed Caramel to the security room, bent on finding the culprits.

When she heard about the vandalism, Princess Celestia sent royal guards right away to protect Spike and discover the culprits. Twilight felt reasonably more comfortable with the royal guards posted outside her doors and Spike clenched between her hoofs. She lay on her side, staring into the window, frustrated at her inability to help Spike. On the left bed, Starlight had fallen asleep, having worked with Rarity for five hours repairing Spike’s arm guard and bow. Twilight however, couldn’t sleep. She and Spike stayed awake well into the early morning. It seemed so long ago that Dash asked Spike to join her team. Now, Twilight wondered if saying yes to Dash was the right decision.

Spike stirred in her hooves.

“I shouldn’t have come.”

“Don’t say that,” Twilight whispered as she nuzzled his head. “You have every right to be here.”

He looked up at Twilight, his cheeks still wet with tears. “Why’d they do it?”

“You don’t deserve any of this Spike. If I could, I’d find the ponies who did this and make them pay for hurting you.”

“That wouldn’t change them.”

Twilight closed her eyes and released a hard sigh. “Maybe not, but if someone can’t look past their own hatred, then maybe they’re not worth being friends with.”

“I don’t care about being friends. I just want them to give me a chance.” He buried his face into her chest. Twilight stroked the back of his head. She couldn’t stand seeing Spike so miserable. She wished there was something she could do for him to make all their problems disappear.

“You always taught me that friendship can solve anything.” Spike looked into her violet eyes. “How does it solve this?”

“I don’t know, Spike.” She bowed her head, “I know the answer to every test question I’ve ever taken. But this? I just don’t know.”

She tried to smile. “But you know something? For every one of these jerks, there are a dozen other ponies who love you. You saw how the Crystal Empire team stood up for you, how Dash didn’t give into those ponies’ threats, and how Celestia sent her guards to protect you.” She squeezed him in a hug, “And I might not be able to change any ponies’ mind, but I will protect you until the end. If anyone so much as scratches you, so help me, I’ll revive the elements of harmony and send them to the moon.”

They finally managed to fall asleep, holding on to each other. Purple fur and feathers blended with purple scales. They were one creature, one family against the world.

Chapter 9 Thunder Star

At breakfast, Rainbow Dash asked everyone from. She and her roommate Fluttershy looked pensive. When everyone was crammed into the tiny room, Dash showed them an opened letter bearing a royal seal.

“I’ve got some bad news,” she said. “This letter came in earlier this morning from the Games’ patron. And it’s not good. The gist is he heard about the incident last night and thinks everyone’s lives could be in danger. He wants to forbid Spike from participating in Games. If we refuse, he’ll ban our team completely.”

“That’s terrible,” Rarity gasped. “Who would do such a thing?”

Dash smiled wryly, “Your old friend, the ‘pure and righteous’ Prince Blueblood.”

The white mare’s face contorted in rage. “Give me a minute with that arrogant, pompous know-it-all. I’ll show him pure and righteous!”

“So what are we going to do?” Bulk asked.

“Obviously, we fight back,” Dash replied as she crumpled the letter. “That jerk isn’t telling me how to run my team. And he’s certainly not banning Spike from the Games.”

“Maybe we should think about it,” Fluttershy suggested. “And consider our options.”

“What’s to think about?” Starlight snapped. “He’s siding with the aggressors over the victim.”

“Calm down,” Bulk exclaimed. “Let’s hear her out.”

Fluttershy nodded to Bulk in thanks.

“I want to fight back too, but he is the head of the Games. We can’t go in without a plan,” Fluttershy responded. “And when we don’t do what he says, we’ll be disqualified.”

Bulk frowned, “Dash, you’ll lose your four year win streak.”

Dash bit her lip, stifling a curse. “Perfect, just perfect. I can’t tell him off without losing the Games. I can make a Sonic Rainboom, save Equestria from Tyrants, Demons, and Gods of Chaos, but I can’t do anything against one jerk.”

“I’m going to send a letter to Princess Celestia,” Twilight said. “She’d better set her nephew straight before I do.”

“Wait,” Bulk frowned, “Are you saying he’s not straight? Is he curved?”

Twilight rolled her eyes before picking a paper and pen from Dash’s desk. Bulk sat there, wondering why she wouldn’t answer him. He studied her face to look for an expression, but it didn’t look like Twilight’s face was saying anything except maybe, “I swear Bulk does this on purpose.”

“Dash,” Spike said with a heavy voice, “I know how much the Games mean to you. If you want, I’ll drop out so you can compete.”

She gave him a reprimanding stare, “Don’t even think about it. We’re a team. We fight together, and we’ll lose together.”

Everypony voiced their agreement with Dash, encouraging Spike not to surrender, even though he still had misgivings. “It’s one thing risking my dreams, but theirs?” He clenched his fists, as he remembered the spray painted threats directed at his friends. “I shouldn’t.”

Nonetheless, when Twilight finished her letter, he sent Twilight’s letter to Princess Celestia in a puff of flames. Soon, he belched a response. Twilight unrolled the scroll and read.

“So?” Dash leaned forward, “What does she say?”

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are trying to change his mind,” Twilight stated. “They both argued Spike’s case to their council and the elites funding the Games.”

“I sense a ‘but’ in there,” Rarity frowned.

“Princess Celestia is worried Baltimare might be too dangerous for Spike,” Twilight said, “even with the royal guard.”

“I suppose she has a point,” Applejack admitted. Spike’s destroyed room was all the evidence they needed to support Celestia’s fears. “But we can’t let all of Spike’s hard work go to waste.”

A stressful headache throbbed in her temples as Twilight read even worse news.

“It looks like most of the elites funding the Games agree with Blueblood.” Said the alicorn. “The Royal Council is divided and doesn’t know where to stand. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will stand by our side, but they don’t control the Games. They suggest getting the other towns and cities on our side. Maybe, we can outnumber Blueblood’s supporters. Princess Celestia thinks if enough towns send letters of complaint to the council and Blueblood, the council will have to take a side or Blueblood will have to give in.” Twilight folded the letter. “So that’s our next step. We have to get these towns on our side. I suggest we talk to each team and arrange meetings with their delegates. Some towns owe us favors. Time we cash in.”

Twilight divided her Ponyville friends into teams and assigned each team to a city. She tried putting her friends on cities that owed each of them a favor, like Griffonstone owed Pinkie or Appleloosa owed Applejack.

She suggested Spike talk to the Crystal Empire, just to make sure they were on board. Then, she ordered Spike to wait in the hotel and stay away from the other teams. Accompanied by a royal guard, he went to the lobby, waiting for the team to return from their morning exercises. Once they returned, Spike explained their situation. Lightning Star and his teammates promised to support Spike without hesitation. They would send a message to their delegate, and soon have the support of their entire city. One of the Crystal Ponies went to talk to their delegate while Lightning’s other teammates went to their rooms to write their letters of complaint to Prince Blueblood. Lightning almost left to write his own letter, when he noticed Spike’s worried expression.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asked.

“Peachy.” Spike did not meet Lightning’s eyes.

“That bad, huh?”

Spike sank into a sofa in the lobby. Lightning did not say another word. He just sat down next to Spike and waited for the drake to talk.

“I can’t keep doing this,” Spike stared at the ceiling. “I can’t keep letting my friends risk all their dreams on me. It’s not fair after all they’ve done for me.”

His eyes fell to his lap where he clasped his hands. His lips trembled, his hands quivered. Spike shook his head.

“I should leave.”

Lightning Star put his hoof on Spike’s shoulder.

“I don’t think you realize, but a lot of ponies need you.” Lightning said, “Some ponies out there don’t even know they need you. If you don’t keep going, they’ll never see you and get inspired, you know?”

Spike did not follow Lightning’s logic. “What are you talking about?”

Lightning retracted his hoof from Spike’s shoulder. He glanced at the royal guard standing nearby. Spike asked the guard to give them some space. Reluctantly, the guard moved out of earshot into the corner of the lobby, but kept them both in eyesight. Feeling more comfortable, Lightning lowered his voice.

“Can I show you something?”

Spike nodded. Lightning pulled a photograph from his saddlebag. He placed the photograph into Spike’s hands.

“That’s my little sister, Thunder Star.” Lightning pointed to the filly in the photograph.

She had fur as white as fluffy bed sheets and a yellow mane patterned with orange flecks. Her electric blue eyes fizzled and cracked with unquenchable life. Just looking at her smile filled Spike with an irresistible urge to smile himself.

But his smile faltered at the breathing tubes hooked into her nostrils. Then, he noticed her legs; metal where there should have been fur. Her hind legs were prosthetic joints; skin melding into metal. In the photograph, her older brother had to support her weight against his side. Yet, she still managed to smile.

“She must be a very strong mare,” Spike said.

“Believe me, she’s one of the strongest,” Lightning beamed.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to her?”

Lightning’s face darkened. “A long time ago, before I joined the Equestria Games, we used to live in this shoddy apartment. One night while I was out being a jerk, there was a gas leak in our apartment. Someone must have lit a match. The explosion took her legs and left her hospitalized ever since.”

“I’m so sorry,” Spike placed his hand on Lightning’s hoof.

“A few years ago, she almost got better. She was living outside of the hospital for almost half a year like any other filly. Then, she got really sick again and had to go back. But no matter what.” Lightning’s eyes reddened. “She never stops smiling. She faces every day with that smile.” He turned to Spike and smiled, “Because of you.”

“Me?”

“When you saved the Crystal Empire from Sombra, you inspired her. You were just a kid, not much older than her, but you saved all of Equestria. Ever since then, she’s seen you as someone to look up to. She said ‘If Spike can be a hero with only two legs, so can I.’ And then when you saved every pony from that block of ice at the Equestria Games, she saw that strength can come from anypony. You taught her that you don’t have to be big and strong to be a hero. That keeps her strong every day. You keep her alive.”

“I had no idea. I mean I knew the Crystal Empire liked me, but I didn’t know I could have that kind of effect on ponies.”

“That’s my point,” Lightning Star said. “Think of how many other fillies need a role model like you. If you do the Games, they’ll see you and maybe you’ll help them like you helped Thunder. You could inspire and save lives.”

Spike thought about Lightning’s words. He thought about that filly’s happy grin.

He said, “I’ll keep trying then. Thanks.”

“I should thank you.” Lightning Star grinned, “Seeing my little sister smile every day keeps me going. So please, don’t ever give up.”

“I’ll try.”

“And hey, if I’m there to see you break my record, I’ll be glad. Cause then you’ll give me something to aspire to.”

Spike bumped his hoof, “You’re the best.”

Lightning tilted his head, “I’m sensing you want a hug.”

“I guess?” Spike shrugged. “Can guys hug each other?”

“I think so.” Lightning rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t see why not.”

They hugged for a brief moment before letting go. Though now, Spike was twiddling his claws.

“I’d really love to meet your sister,” Spike said.

“She’s in Baltimare, I could take you to her right now if you’d like.”

Spike remembered Twilight’s order to remain in the hotel. But he had to meet Thunder Star. He just had to. He couldn’t offer any rational reason why.

He beckoned his royal guard. After telling the guard about the poor little filly who wanted to see him, Spike asked if he could go visit. The guard wanted to say no, but he couldn’t deny the dreams of a tiny filly, his heart wasn’t hard enough. With a sigh, he nodded, on the condition that he accompanied Spike.

Twilight sat in her room, waiting for her informant to return. While talking to the other teams, she decided to investigate the incident with Spike’s room last night. She reached out to one of Spike’s dear friends and asked him to spy on the other teams.

So far, almost half of the town delegates pledged to support Spike. Applejack convinced Appleloosa to help them without any issue, and Canterlot readily accepted Twilight’s request. Spitfire hesitated to join Dash’s friends, worried that she might instigate further strife. However, she agreed that banning Spike and Ponyville was unfair. Thus, Cloudsdale joined with Ponyville. Griffonstone ended up siding with Blueblood’s supporters, despite Pinkie’s best efforts. They were scared of being banned themselves. Their loudest opponents were Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Manehatten. Yellow Bolt declined their request in his usual, brash, noisy way. He would awake next morning to find a Pinkie Pie prank waiting for him: a face-full of glitter. Silver Shine also refused to help. Twilight felt he had less malicious intent behind his refusal. He just wanted this monkey show to end.

A knock on her door. She peered through the peephole and spotted her royal guard. She let the orange stallion in and closed the door.

“Nopony saw you?” She asked.

He shook his head.

“So, did you get anything from Fillydelphia? Anything connecting them to the incident with Spike’s room?”

“No, they all had alibis. Even that meanie Yellow Bolt. He was with his team all day, and he never left his room that night.”

“You’re certain?”

“Yeah,” he said, “the other teams confirmed it. Do you still think Yellow Bolt did it?”

“No,” Twilight admitted. “I don’t think he’s clever enough to pull off something like this. If he did it, I think it would have been sloppier. What about Silver Shine?”

“Him?” The guard raised an eyebrow. “He might be stuffy, but I don’t think he’d do it.”

“I don’t think so either. He doesn’t want trouble that could cost him his last Game. But I’m not ruling out anypony. Where was he last night?”

“When he wasn’t with his team?” The guard shifted uncomfortably. “Alone, in his room.”

“So no pony but he could confirm that he was there?”

“Dark Spectre saw him go into his room,” he said. “Beyond that, I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me what he was up to in there. Said it was personal.”

Twilight nodded. “Anything else?”

“Sky Chaser was in the lobby reading a book, so he couldn’t have done it either. Unless he could be in two places at once.”

As Twilight gathered her thoughts, the guard wondered how Spike was doing. He had not seen his best friend, much less told him that he was working undercover for Twilight. Maybe it was better that way. Spike did not seem like the kind who liked keeping secrets. He wouldn’t want to force Spike to do something he didn’t like.

“Alright, thanks.” Twilight said. “I want you to continue monitoring the other teams. See if you can get anything else from Manehatten.”

The guard bowed and headed back out the door. When he came to a corridor out of eyesight, he dropped his disguise, revealing his changeling form. Thorax shape shifted into a Manehatten pony to infiltrate their team. Spike was counting on him. He could not fail his friend.

Twilight heard a second knock on her door. A letter slipped under her door, followed by the sound of hoofs trotting away. The letter was addressed to Spike, from the hotel clerk, Caramel Breeze. The alicorn hoped this wasn’t some threat or hate mail. She unfolded the letter and read.

At the Baltimare hospital, a nurse greeted Lightning Star and updated him on his sister. She did not seem bothered by the royal guard or baby dragon. In fact, she was quite pleased to see Spike with Lightning. Thunder would love to meet her idol. She directed them to Thunder’s room. When her gaze turned, a journalist, River Drop, snuck past her, bent on discovering why a dragon was in the hospital. She had trailed the trio to the hospital, following a gut feeling that there was a story in the making.

Thunder Star was going out of her mind until Lightning visited. Hospitals didn’t give a lot of entertainment options. She wanted to go explore Baltimare or do something fun, not hang around in a room all day. Thankfully, her big brother showed up.

“Hey,” she smiled.

“How you holding up?”

“Well, I’m bored out of my mind, but otherwise I’m alright.”

“I brought someone with me,” Lightning grinned. “Someone you’ve always wanted to meet.” He turned to the door and told his friend to come in.

As her purple-scaled guest opened the door, Thunder’s heart began to thud. Could it be? Yes! Her favorite dragon entered the room and walked over to her.

“Spike!” She exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“You must be Thunder Star,” Spike smiled as he came to her bedside. Her voice, higher and softer than Sweetie Belle’s, warbled with excitement.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you know my name.” She flushed red. She glanced at her brother, “He knows my name.” and back to Spike, “You know my name.”

“Sure I do,” Spike said. “I’ve wanted to meet you for a while now.”

“Really? You wanted to meet me?” Her eyes sparkled like sapphires catching the sunlight.

“Lightning told me all about you,” Spike said. “How you’ve been pushing through some hard times, and never giving up.”

“It’s all because of you, Spike.” Said Thunder. “Whenever I felt like I couldn’t do it, I just remembered you, fighting against Sombra. You saved my home when no one else could, going on through life without your parents.” Her eyes watered and she almost choked on her emotions. “It helps me know that I can do this. I was in a dark place, depressed and scared. But you helped me get back on my hoofs. I owe it all to you.”

Spike wrapped the filly in a gentle hug, as she dampened his scales with tears, overwhelmed at embracing her hero.

“Listen, I want you to know that you’re the hero. You’ve pulled yourself up in spite of the challenges you’ve faced.” Spike rubbed his eyes. “There have been times when I’ve felt scared, alone, and helpless. But, my friends will always pick me up if I fall and carry me through, just like I would them. Your brother, Fleetfoot, and me? We’ll always be here to pick you up and help you. So don’t ever give up.”

She nodded, her face red with sadness and pride.

“Because you’ve inspired me to keep trying,” Spike said. “You’ve saved me.”

“I have?”

“Absolutely,” he placed his claws on her shoulders and drew her into another hug. “Thank you.”

They sat in silent embrace for a good half-minute. They parted, and Thunder Star asked Spike if he could tell her some of his adventures. Spike told her every story he could think of: his mission to the Crystal Empire, his journey to Dragon Town with Princess Luna, his adventure into the Dragon Land and the Gauntlet of Fire, then meeting Thorax. He poured his heart into his meager stories, and she never once stopped smiling or moved her eyes from the purple dragon.

From outside the room, River Drop struggled to halt the tears in her eyes. This scene was too joyous and precious. How could she have even thought Spike capable of hurting this filly? She changed the headline of her story: Spike the dragon makes a Hospitalized Filly’s wishes come True: Peace in Times of Hostility. River Drop would ask Spike and Lightning for an interview as soon as they finished. Maybe, if she hurried, she could make the evening edition.

Author's Note

This is the last of my prewritten and preedited chapters. I have written nothing beyond this point that my editor has seen. I am honestly uncertain when I will finish the next chapters or when I might post them. To be really honest, I'm a bit disappointed with the low views and discouraged, but I guess there's nothing I can do about that. Please understand I'm not blaming any of you. I thank each and everyone of you who think this story is worth following, but healthy motivation isn't coming to me right now. Anyways, thanks for reading my stuff. Hope to write more soon.

Chapter 10 Encouragement

Author's Note

Disclaimer: Brute Strength and Zazu the Zebra are OCs lent to me by Jungoon Warrior (Correct me if I'm getting the name wrong)

Chapter 10 Encouragement

Rarity had finished her discussion with the Baltimare athletes, and was heading down the hall to report back to Twilight. As she hastily rounded a corner, she almost ran into Fleetfoot.

“Oh, excuse me,” Rarity said.

“It’s fine.” She smiled.

The pegasus was about to walk past Rarity when the unicorn stopped her. “I just wanted to say, thank you for standing up for Spike yesterday.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She said, “I might not know Spike that well, but I can tell he’s a good guy. Nopony deserves to be treated how he’s been. Plus he’s Lightning’s student. I have to support him too.”

Rarity’s interest became piqued at the mention of Spike’s teacher. “That’s interesting.”

“What?”

“Well, forgive my curiosity, but what does Lightning have to do with defending Spike?”

“Oh, you know.” Fleetfoot said, hoping she wouldn’t have to explain herself further.

“Sorry, I don’t follow.”

“Lightning’s a good guy. I couldn’t leave him hanging. Just want to help a friend out is all.”

Rarity’s lips curled into a knowing, smug grin.

Fleetfoot blinked, her eyes darting around the hallway. “What? What’s with that smile?”

“My, my, my,” Rarity said with slight shake of her head. “I didn’t know you had a crush on Lightning.”

Fleetfoot’s eyes wandered across the room, her legs shifted uncomfortably, and her cheeks turned red, which was all the confirmation Rarity needed.

“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Rarity gave an excited little squeal and hopped in place. “I have so many questions. When did you two meet? How long have you known each other?”

Fleetfoot tried to avoid eye contact, hoping to drop the issue, but relented, “Four years.”

“Have you told him yet? Do you think he likes you too?”

Fleetfoot nodded to Rarity’s last question.

“Are you two special someponies?”

Fleetfoot sighed, her shoulders sagged, and her gaze fell to the scarlet-carpeted floor. Rarity frowned, easily surmising the answer to her question was a big “no.”

“I’m sorry,” Rarity said. “Is there something keeping you two apart?”

“He works in the Crystal Empire, I work in Cloudsdale,” Said Fleetfoot. “But that’s not the real problem.”

“May I ask what is?”

Fleetfoot made sure nopony was around to hear them. Then, she turned to Rarity and lowered her voice.

“A while ago, something happened to Lightning’s sister, and he’s been blaming himself for it ever since. He thinks it’s his fault for not being there to stop it.” Fleetfoot shook her head a little with a weary sigh. “I guess he’s afraid that he’d end up hurting me too.”

“But he couldn’t hurt a fly,” Rarity said. “He’s such a gentlecolt.”

“That’s what I tell him. I guess he’s just not ready to move on.”

“I’m sorry.” Rarity placed a kind hoof on Fleetfoot’s shoulder. “I know it can be frustrating to watch someone you love blame themselves.”

“Sometimes I could just kick him in the face,” Fleetfoot said with a wry, unsmiling chuckle. “I wish he’d see in himself what everypony does. Then maybe he’d start seeing why I need him. Because, he’s one of the only things in life that makes sense, you know?”

As Fleetfoot stared down the hallway, lost in her own maze of thoughts, Rarity felt her eyes buzzing with tears.

“Have you ever tried talking to him?”

“Yeah.” She said. “Don’t cry. I’m the one with the bad love life. Anyways, I need to get back to Spitfire.”

With a downtrodden expression, Rarity watched the mare make her way down the hall. She could understand Fleetfoot’s disappointment. Her love life wasn’t the greatest either. Blueblood and Trenderhoof? Disappointments. Rarity tightened her lip, determined to help Fleetfoot. With a passionate fire in her heart, she set off to look for Lightning Star.

Dash’s hooves clopped across the lobby floor as she paced, wondering where Spike vanished. Her mind was a thundercloud of worry and frustration.

Thankfully, the sight of Spike entering the hotel front door, accompanied by Lightning Star and a royal guard, alleviated her worries. She raced to Spike, her irritation mixing with relief.

“Where have you been?”

“Sorry for not telling you, but I went to meet a fan of mine. Lightning figured it would make me feel better.”

Rainbow quickly turned her gaze to Lighting, who offered a simple nod to confirm the dragon’s story. Dash sighed, unable to stay angry with him.

“Alright, as long as you’re okay I guess it’s fine. However, whenever you go out from now on make sure I know where you’re going, okay?”

“Dash,” he said, “I just want you to know that I won’t back down. I’m going to the Equestria Games.”

Dash looked at the small dragon apprehensively. “That’s great Spike, but are you sure? I mean after everything that’s happened I don’t want to stay here if you don’t want to, and I won’t force you to stay for the team’s sake. We totally get it if you want to leave.”

“No, I’m not going to stay in the Games because I’m stubborn. I’m staying in because I want to.”

Dash smiled. “Glad to hear it. But if it ever gets too much for you and you want to drop out, I’ll respect your decision.”

“Thanks, but I don’t plan on leaving. Too many ponies and nonponies are looking to me for inspiration. I can’t just disappoint them.”

Dash found herself starting in awe at the young dragon. He seemed different: taller, prouder, more confident? Whatever it was, she couldn’t put her hoof on it, but she was glad to see him standing tall after everything.

“Hey, Spike!” An obnoxious voice snarled.

Dash, and Lightning scowled at the sight of Yellow Bolt, stomping towards them. The royal guard planted himself firmly in front of Yellow Bolt, glaring with so much palpable intensity that the archer took a step back.

“What do you want, Yellow?” Spike said.

“Tell your guards to stop treating me like a criminal. I don’t need you sabotaging my training with their interrogations.”

The guard snorted at him. “I don’t like your tone, mister.”

“You’d be mad too if someone kept dragging you away every other hour,” Yellow Bolt grumbled. “How am I supposed to practice?”

Spike decided to intervene before Yellow could provoke the guard any further.

“Mr. Guard,” he said. “Is that true?”

The stallion nodded.

“Well, I’m sure we can come to a compromise. Right?”

The guard nodded and said, “I’ll make sure my guards don’t cause any further interference with the competition. Will that suffice?”

Bolt’s mouth opened to retort, but with another glance at the guard’s sharp scowl, he swallowed whatever he was going to say.

“Sure, whatever,” Bolt marched off. He turned back a moment. “And just so you know, I had nothing to do with your room, okay? I don’t like you, but I’d never stoop so low as to pull a stunt like that. I have some pride.”

With that, he entered the dining hall.

“That jerk never lets up,” Dash said.

“To be honest, he doesn’t bother me too much anymore.” Spike said. “At least he used my name instead of lizard.”

“Yeah, I guess he did. Anyways, Twilight wants to see you. She’s got some letters for you.”

“Letters? From who?”

“You want a list? Basically, from your fans all over Equestria.”

Excited, Spike headed to the stairs accompanied by his royal guard.

“I don’t know what you did to get his spirits up, Lightning, but thanks,” She said with a little nod. “He wasn’t sure if he could go through with the Games this morning.”

“I’m just happy I could help.”

Seeing Spike’s determination gave Rainbow Dash some much needed peace of mind. If he wouldn’t give up, then neither would she.

“I’m going to talk with the Griffonstone team,” She said. “See if I can change their minds.”

She headed up the stairs after Spike. Lightning was about to walk into the dining hall and get some lunch, when a voice called to him. He turned to the stairs and saw Rarity trotting after him.

“Oh, hello, Miss Rarity,” Lightning said, offering a polite bow. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I want to tell you something.”

“Alright. What is it?”

“Well, I just had a rather pleasant conversation with Fleetfoot. She’s wonderful company, and an impressive athlete as well. Though I have to say, she seemed more interested in talking about you than the Games.”

Lightning's face turned red at the mention of Fleetfoot, stammering as he tried to hide his embarrassment, “Well, we both want to help Spike. It’s only natural.”

Rarity, still playing coy, simply pushed forward, “Of course, though she also seems quite inspired by you. She even said part of the reason she wanted to help Spike, was because she’d do anything for you. Quite interesting don’t you think?”

Lightning now found himself choking on his words, stammering some unintelligible sounds, his face blushing as he studied his hoofs to avoid making eye contact.

Seeing she’d all but broken through his facade Rarity moved in, “Let’s not beat around the bush shall we, darling? She clearly likes you, question is do you like her back?”

Seeing lying was pointless, Lighting slumped his shoulders in defeat. “Y-yeah. She’s amazing.”

“Glad we have that settled. Now I understand something in the past is what’s keeping you from pursuing her, correct? I won’t pretend I have any idea what happened to you, however, I do know you shouldn’t let such things weigh you down. You decide who you are, with your actions in the present. From what I’ve seen, you decided to be a kind, responsible stallion and more than made up for your past wrongs. Don’t you think it’s time you made Fleetfoot and yourself happy?”

“But I’m no good for her.”

“Now that’s a load of poppycock! You’re loyal, kind, patient, and hardworking. Any mare would be lucky to have you as their special somepony. Honestly, if you weren’t spoken for I would have liked to take a chance with you.”

That last remark actually made Lightning pause with disbelief, but Rarity continued.

“Fleetfoot deserves to be happy and I know she’s at her happiest when she’s with you. She even said you’re the only thing in her life that makes sense.”

“Thanks, but I just…”

“Stop. No more excuses. Look into your heart. You want her, don’t you?”

Lightning wouldn’t raise his glance to meet Rarity’s eyes. His shoulders trembled like tree branch ruffled by the wind.

“Don’t you?

His eyes rose to meet Rarity’s, revealing a stallion on the verge of tears.

“More than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”

“Well, she wants you just as much. Keeping her waiting is agony to you and to her. She’s forgiven whatever you did in your past. It’s time you forgive yourself and move on.”

“You really think I deserve her?”

“Absolutely. You love her, she loves you.”

Lightning’s throat convulsed, as he wiped tears from his eyes. A slow, surrendering smile crossed his lips.

“She’s with the Cloudsdale Team in Spitfire’s room.” Rarity winked. “Go get her.”

He nodded his thanks. With trembling hoofs, Lightning headed up the stairs, uncertain what he would say or do, but moved forward undeterred. He thought about Fleetfoot, how much he needed her, how much he loved her, and suddenly, he knew exactly what he had to say. He’d put this off long enough.

He arrived at Spitfire’s door without any plan or idea, and although part of his mind urged him to run his hoof moved to the door with a mind of its own. After a quick knock of the door, Spitfire greeted him. She couldn’t help feeling he seemed different somehow.

“I need to talk to Fleetfoot.”

Spitfire swiveled her head and did her best to hide a knowing smirk.

“Hey, Fleetfoot. Lightning’s here to see you.”

“What? Now?”

“No, tomorrow. Yes now!”

Fleetfoot stumbled across the room to the door, a bright smile beaming across her face as the site of Lighting in the doorway. Spitfire excused herself, leaving the two alone. Lightning shifted on his hooves. He was certain she could hear his rapid heartbeat bursting through his chest.

He opened his mouth to speak only to immediately close it, taking a moment to consider his words carefully. Fleetfoot waited patiently.

“Hey, I was wondering if you’d like to get some lunch with me, so we could talk about,” he took a steadying breath, “us.”

“Us?”

“You know, our future, the two of us.”

Fleetfoot’s face reddened and her heart nearly skipped a beat. Now, her hoofs trembled and she began to wobble.

“So what do you say?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

The two left, their tails curled together and bodies leaning into each other, as they headed down the stairs. Spitfire peaked out of the room and stared after them as they disappeared down the stairs. She ducked her head inside and headed to her desk, seizing her handkerchief before the stern walls holding back her tears broke.

“She’s finally got a coltfriend.” Honking on the fabric, she found a smile on her face. “My little Wonderbolt’s growing up.”

The moment he knocked on her door, Twilight pulled Spike inside the room. To his surprise, she had a wide grin on her face. He noticed a blue satchel bag on her bed, over-pouring with dozens of letters. They had stamps from towns and cities across Equestria, some that Spike didn’t even recognize. Before he could ask, Twilight handed him an open note folded in three quarters, addressed from Caramel Breeze, the hotel clerk.

“What’s going on?” Spike asked, as he unfolded the letter.

“Just read it.”

“Dear Spike,” he read out loud. “I received a letter from my brother’s doctor yesterday. He’s doing fine, in case you’re wondering. The doctor told me when the fire erupted in Town Hall a dragon raced through the flames and saved my brother, while another got the ambulance. I owe both of them for saving my brother. But that’s not why I’m apologizing. I want to apologize for the way I treated you. There is no excuse for what I did. You don’t have to forgive me, as I know I don’t deserve it. Just know that I stand with you against Blueblood and anypony else who’s called you a monster. Sincerely, Caramel Breeze. P.S.: I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you this in person. I guess I’m not brave enough to face you yet.”

Twilight handed Spike another letter for him to read.

“Hey, this is Soarin. I’m sorry those creeps trashed your room last night. You’ve done so much good in the world, and you don’t deserve any of this hate. I’m still afraid of dragons (please don’t tell Captain Spitfire) but I’m more afraid of anyone who’d threaten a nice guy like you. I don’t think I’m quite ready to forgive you for that greed incident, but I want you to know that you have my support.”

Spike noticed a letter in the pile with a Yan Hoover stamp.

“Dear Spike. Most ponies don’t trust minotaurs like me because I look big and scary. That makes it hard to get work as a blacksmith. Seeing you strive to compete in the Games gives me hope that ponies will trust all nonponies someday, and see beyond our appearances. Thank you for giving me hope. Brute Strength.”

He picked up another letter.

“To Spike the Drake, who’s suffered much heartache. My name is Zazu and I’m a zebra who likes to study magic. Someponies look down on me and make me feel tragic. Please don’t let the haters have their way. If you win, zebras too will win that day. Maybe, we can start to beat the hate, and a world of equality we’ll create. I support you and all dragons alike. So stay strong, dragon named Spike. ”

Twilight handed him a dozen more letters from ponies, donkeys, and every creature imaginable, all addressed to him, all encouraging him.

“This is amazing, Twilight.”

“Amazing doesn’t begin to describe it. We’ve gotten letters from every corner of Equestria. Hundreds who are willing to support you. Now do you see why you can’t give up?”

“Don’t worry, Twi,” Spike said with a grin. “I’m done doubting myself. I’m going to see this through, no matter what.”

“I’m glad to hear it. So what changed your mind?”

Spike told her about Thunder Star as fresh bittersweet tears burned in his eyes. Twilight wasted no time in hugging him.

“Spike, I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

“I’m just glad I could make her smile. I never knew ponies could look up to me like that.”

“Sometimes, we don’t see all the ponies we affect through our actions. I’m glad you got to meet someone like her.”

“Next time, you should come with me. I’m sure she’d love to meet you too.”

“Sounds like fun.” With a smile, Twilight handed Spike another letter.

Before he could read it, the door cracked open.

“Princess Twilight,” a royal guard said. “A reporter wants to talk with Spike. Says she’s with Baltimare News.”

“I’m sorry, we’re a little busy right now.”

“Wait,” Spike said. “Is her name River Drop?”

“Yes.”

“It’s okay, Twilight. I know her. She interviewed me after I met Thunder. I think we can trust her.”

“If you say so.” She nodded to the guard, who let the indigo earth pony enter the room accompanied by a grey stallion with shaggy, brown locks and a camera. Spike pulled up a chair and offered her a seat, which she graciously accepted.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Spike.”

“You can just call me Spike.” He smiled.

Twilight pulled up a second chair for Spike and took her place next to him.

“Are you sure you’re okay with a live interview?”

“I’m sure.”

She turned to her camera pony. “You can start rolling.”

A light next to the camera lens turned red.

“Hello, this is River Drop. I’m here with Ponyville’s archer Spike and the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. I understand Ponyville’s been receiving some flack for recruiting you, Spike. What do you have to say to those critics?”

Spike glanced to Twilight. She nodded, encouragingly.

“I’m sorry for what happened in Fillydelphia. I understand why it might leave someponies hesitant to let a dragon compete. But please understand, I would never do something like that. I’ve spent all my life with Twilight defending Equestria. Ponyville and Canterlot are the only homes I’ve ever known. I would never betray them, and this tragedy scared me just as much as you.”

“It’s true,” Twilight said. “Spike was with me in Ponyville when it happened.”

“Thank you, Twilight. I know dragons and ponies haven’t always gotten along, but I like to think that in the hardest of times, Equestria always finds a way to stick together.”

“And will you continue to refuse Prince Blueblood’s command for you to resign?”

“Absolutely. I’m here to stay.”

“What’s motivating you to continue despite your critics?”

“My friends, my family, and all the other nonponies who want to be seen, trusted, and accepted. Their dreams are riding on me, they’re too important for me to give up now. And there’s another pony who’s counting on me.”

“For those who don’t know, could you tell us who that pony is?”

“Thunder Star.”

“She’s the filly you entertained at Baltimare’s Hospital earlier today.”

“That’s right.”

“A few years ago, she had an accident that took her hind legs. Could you tell us what keeps her going?”

“She said I inspire her to keep going through tough times. That whenever she didn’t think she could make it, she thought about me. I wouldn’t be setting a good example if I just gave up.”

He smiled. “Call me naïve, but I’d like to think, maybe, there are some other ponies who need a role model. I guess it’s a little selfish to say that role model could be me. I know I’m no Twilight, not by a long shot. But I’ll keep going for the ponies who look up to me.”

“Spike.” River Drop said. “There are lots of ponies and nonponies around Equestria watching this interview right now. What do you have to say to them?”

Spike looked at the camera, to Twilight, then back to River Drop. His claws clenched together in a sort of prayer gesture. He opened his mouth to speak, but words did not follow. Twilight worried he was stuck or lost for words. She smiled and gave him an encouraging nod, hoping he would understand he should just say whatever was on his mind. He seemed to pick up on the message and finally turned his gaze back to River Drop.

“Boy, that’s a big question.” He chuckled. “Well, I’m not sure how to talk to everyone and I’m not the best at speeches. But I guess I have a few things to say.”

He cleared his throat.

“Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone who sent letters to encourage me. It’s helped me understand why I need to do this.”

In Yan Hoover, a brown-coated minotaur with a scar over his left eye watched Spike from the restaurant TV screen. The minotaur Brute Strength sat with other ponies, clients of his, in a scarlet-cushioned booth.

“Secondly, I want to offer encouragement to everyone out there struggling for approval, for acceptance, and for equality.” Spike said. “I truly believe in the end, love will beat out fear and hate. If not now, then soon. If not in our lifetime, then maybe in the next generation. Please, don’t give up.”

Brute gave a half nod to Spike before sipping his coffee.

Zazu the zebra hung around the outskirts of the crowd, listening to Spike’s speech broadcasted through street radios. Nearly all of Maretonia gathered to hear him speak.

“Thirdly, I want to speak to the lawmakers. Beating this fear, this hate, is going to take more than a few new laws. It’s going to take a change in behavior and attitude. We need to see the wrongs that most of us want to ignore. To do that, everypony needs to have a universal, unrelenting desire to love and a ceaseless will to stand for justice.”

Zazu place a hoof over his heart, moved by Spike’s words.

In Griffonstone, Gilda and a dozen other griffons surrounded their dingy, beaten up radio as Spike’s voice fizzled through the worn speakers.

“And I understand why some of my supporters might want to hate Prince Blueblood and the nonpony haters. I myself will never forgive whoever chose to try and intimidate me, but I’d like to warn you against making any violent protests. I truly believe that hate will only stir the fires and create more strife. Continue to protest peacefully and be patient. Real, meaningful change doesn’t happen in a single day. It takes time, patience, and effort.”

Gilda let a smile break through her tough girl act, just for a moment.

Every citizen of Dragon Town gathered in the community’s Town Hall to listen to Spike’s speech on TV. Tears rolled down many dragon eyes, as their champion spoke to them.

“To the dragons of Dragon Town, don’t lose faith in ponykind. For every pony who’s made me feel unwelcome, I know ten more who continue to support me. Some of our critics don’t know better or haven’t even met a dragon before. But we can change that. We can show them who we really are through our actions and meet them halfway. I know it’s easy to hate them, but I promise you there are ponies who will defend you, so don’t give up. Keep working towards equality, even when it seems impossible. The moment we give up is the moment we fall, pony and dragon alike.”

Princess Celestia proudly watched the little drake speak from her magical projector. Princess Luna sat by her side, casting sidelong glances at the delegates and royal council ponies forced to listen to the speech. Said council was split; half seemed skeptical and dismissive of the drake but the other half gave solemn approving nods. Despite the divide, Princess Celestia recognized ponies who agreed with Prince Blueblood wavering in their convictions as Spike continued his speech.

“Finally, I want to speak to everyone. Please don’t think this doesn’t affect you, and don’t tell yourself you can’t do anything. When it comes to helping others, the worst thing you could ever do is refuse to help simply because believe you can’t do a thing. Even if all you can do is send me your letters of encouragement, that’s something.”

“This is unprecedented.” Murmured an elderly council stallion.

“I never knew a dragon could speak so eloquently.”

“What does this mean for Equestria?”

“What are we even watching?”

Princess Celestia turned to the Fillydelphia delegate. “History.”

“Overcoming this stigma is going to take every single one of us, every pony, dragon, minotaur, donkey, griffon, changeling, and zebra. Now’s the time to make a world our grandchildren can be proud of.”

“If I can participate in the Games, I think it’ll help everypony,” Spike said. “Because it’ll prove that love beats fear. So please, get out there and help make a difference.”

Twilight stared at him with frank amazement. She never imagined Spike capable of such a speech. Suddenly, she began wondering when he’d become so mature. River Drop remained silent, her lips curled in a smile. She had to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, and take a moment to compose herself.

“Thank you, Spike. I’m sure Equestria will prove you right. And thank you for giving us a moment of your time.”

He grinned, admittedly pleased by his own speech, but quickly bowed, hoping to maintain a humble appearance. She turned to the camera.

“I’m River Drop and this has been Baltimare Afternoon News. Thanks for tuning in.”

The camera’s red light blinked off. As the camera pony lowered the camera, he smiled at River Drop and gave a nod. “Got it.”

“Thanks again for doing this,” River Drop said.

“Thank you for spreading my message.” Spike said.

“I’ll leave you two to get back to your campaign.”

“Come back any time,” Twilight said.

She showed River Drop and her camera pony to the door. When she and Spike were alone once again, Twilight practically danced around him.

“That was amazing! I can’t believe you said all that.”

His purple cheeks reddened under Twilight’s approving smile. “I guess hanging around you made me good at speeches.”

“I never said a word. Everything that ponies heard today was you.” She seized him between her hoofs and squeezed him as she spun him around. “Now, I mean it when I say I couldn’t be prouder of you!”

He smiled. “Aw, don’t say that. I’m sure I’ll keep surprising you.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but gave a happy snorty laugh. She allowed herself to feel a little optimistic.

“I could use some lunch,” Spike said, rubbing his tummy. “Do you want to come with me?”

“This calls for a special occasion. Let’s see if we can find an ice cream shop to celebrate.”

“Ooo, can I get a chocolate? With sapphire sprinkles?”

“Well, I’m not sure about the sapphire sprinkles. Ponies don’t put gems on ice cream.”

“Hey, I can hope, right?”

She laughed and headed out with Spike, accompanied by a pair of royal guards.

Lightning and Fleetfoot settled beneath the shade of an oak tree in Baltimare Park. Their hay sandwiches left their stomachs full, and made them feel sluggish, so they decided to take a rest. They shamelessly nuzzled close, Lightning’s white fur pressed into Fleetfoot’s green-blue.

Fleetfoot smirked. “How is it that sooner or later we always end up beneath a tree?”

“I guess I have an irrational attraction to them.” Lightning shrugged. “Maybe I was a squirrel in a past life.”

She giggled. “Heh, maybe I was a bird.”

“Makes sense. Spitfire has called you a little birdbrained.” Lightning grinned. Fleetfoot rolled her purple eyes. “What? Come on, that wasn’t that bad.”

“I don’t know.” Fleetfoot’s eyes narrowed playfully. “It was a little hawk-ward.”

“You were not emu-sed?”

“No, I think it was rather fowl.”

“You want to have a pun war? Well, toucan play that game.”

“That left me a little soar. Puns like that should be ill-eagle.”

Lightning burst out laughing. “That’s good. I can’t beat that. I guess you really quack me up.”

“Oh, stop telling puns and crow up.”

“Okay seriously, I can’t beat that. I hereby crown thee the bird-pun-queen.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

They turned their attention to the clear blue sky, overhanging the skyscrapers outside the park. A few clouds passed over the buildings, each on their own never-ending journey. However, the couple was focused on their own journey, and moment they alone were sharing.

Fleetfoot looked into his blue eyes that melded perfectly with the sky. “Not that I’m complaining, but why’d you want to spend time with me?”

Lightning shifted, a slight breeze fluttered his bumblebee mane.

“I talked with Miss Rarity. She told me that you really like me and I shouldn’t keep you waiting.”

“I guess I owe her a thanks. But I’ve been telling you that for a while. Why’d you listen to her?”

“Well, that’s not all. After this morning, I just had a good feeling about things. Spike visited Thunder Star in the hospital and told her to never give up. When Rarity told me to go after you, I remembered the kind of change Spike made in Thunder’s life. Seeing her happy really gave him confidence. It got me thinking. Maybe, I could try to make that change in your life.”

“You’ve already made that change in my life.” Fleetfoot smiled with watery eyes.

She wrapped her hooves around him, buried her face into his neck. Carefully, he circled his right hoof around her back, and rested his chin on the top of her head. Now, she was left blushing as his hoof stroked her back between her wings. She could almost purr with happiness. The bright afternoon sun shone overhead and ponies jogged through the park trails, but to Lightning and Fleetfoot nothing else existed.

“I never got you out of my head,” She said. “After a month at the Crystal Empire, I realized how much I loved visiting you and Thunder, and just being with you two. It made me feel like a part of a family, an actual, loving family. I thought I’d never have that. Part of me thought I didn’t deserve it.”

“You deserve to be happy, especially after everything you’ve done for me. If it weren’t for you, Thunder would be…” His throat tensed. “You’ve been an angel to us. My parents ditched Thunder and me. I lost faith in the world until you came into our lives.”

They closed their eyes, and lost themselves in each other. Lightning no longer cared about his reckless past. All that mattered now was being with her, and spending everyday by her side. He couldn’t imagine how he ever lived so long without her.

“Fleetfoot?”

“Hmm?”

“When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful mare I’d ever seen.”

“Why’s that?”

Lightning’s eyes glanced away for a second.

“Come on, tell me.”

“Promise you won’t think I’m a creep?”

“Promise.”

“If I’m being honest,” He said. “I liked your body.” His hoof gingerly brushed her hip, sending thrilling chills through Fleetfoot’s heart into the pit of her stomach, as though she were about to descend on a sharp roller coaster dip. “Sorry, I know that’s probably not what you’d like to hear, but it’s true.”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

“You don’t think I’m shallow?”

“Nah, I appreciate your honesty. And thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re welcome,” He said. “But the more you visited, the more I realized what a beautiful person you are on the inside. You helped me see that my life wasn’t a mistake by showing me how I could help others. You believed in me, taught me to push forward despite any setbacks,” He said giving her a little squeeze. “I’m so honored that you’d give a screw-up like me a chance. Because you make me want to be a better pony.”

“Lightning,” She whispered as her hooves clenched his back, pressing their furred bodies closer. “When we first met, I liked you too.”

“You did?”

“Oh yeah.”

“What did you like about me?”

“Your nice, hot bod.” She gave him a flirty, lustful gaze through half-opened eyes.

She ran a hoof along his muscular chest, leaving a trail of goose bumps as her hoof descended to his abs. A dumb grin spread across his face, a tiny begging groan escaped his throat as she skirted her hoof around his hips, edging further and further down his flank. Her playful giggles filled his ears as she traced his cutie mark. Her other hoof sank into his mane along the back of his neck.

“Not to mention, your gorgeous hair, and those gosh darned eyes. I honestly thought you were a dream. Of course I didn’t have the imagination to make up someone like you.”

He chuckled, eagerly anticipating her next seductive move. Fleetfoot’s hoof trailed from his mane to his shoulder.

“Watching how tender you were to your sister was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Then, I learned about who you were and how you wanted to change for her. I couldn’t believe how you sacrificed so much for her. It was the most selfless thing I’d ever seen a pony do.”

Her hoof moved from his cutie mark to his waist, where she stroked his muscular stomach tightened from years of physical exercise and lucky genetics. From his pleased eyes and grin, she guessed he was enjoying this as much as she was and didn’t want her to stop. She looked into his eyes, feeling her heart melt into the expanse of his sky blue eyes.

“I guess I really started to fall for you, the more I visited Thunder and you at the hospital. I’ve never felt that surrounded by love. My parents turned me over to relatives who just sort of tolerated me. But you? You greeted me with a smile, always paid attention to me, and practically invited me to be a part of your family.”

She closed her eyes as she pressed her head into his chest, feeling his warmth and heartbeat, her cool breaths grazed his fur like wind ruffling grass. Lightning gently rested his chin on the top of her head, rubbing the back of her neck. He closed his eyes, content, and egged his hoof down her side, past her hips, to her toned hind leg.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Fleetfoot. I love you.”

He opened his eyes and found her lips inches from his, beckoning like a question. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her with four years of pent-up passion. She moaned, digging her hooves into his neck as she pulled him down into the grass. As they settled in the prickly grass, Lightning sneaked his left hoof onto her cutie mark, stroking her fur. As their lips connected, he felt Fleetfoot press her tongue against his lips. He wasted no time opening his mouth and letting her in. As their tongues wrestled, they rolled over, leaving Fleetfoot on top of him. Pulses like electricity spread through their tingling lips, into their bodies, into their brains, as unquenchable pleasure flooded their sensations. When their lips parted for air, they both opened their eyes.

Fleetfoot was breathless, her hooves resting squarely on Lightning’s chest.

He loved how her eyes caught the light like purple jewels. Not wanting to overstep his boundaries and give an unwanted second kiss, he decided to ask, “Can we do it again?”

“You’d better.”

They went in for a second kiss. Lightning held the back of her head with one hoof, while using his other hoof to hold her waist against his. All the while, Fleetfoot had her hooves wrapped around his neck.

When they parted for breath, Fleetfoot pressed her forehead against Lightning’s, her white mane mingled with his bumblebee mane.

“I love you too. And this was worth the wait.”

Fleetfoot leaned in for another kiss when Lightning stiffened, his eyes focused on some watching ponies.

“Uh, we should probably hold off on this. Some ponies are staring.”

With her hoofs on his chest, Lightning couldn’t get up. Fleetfoot leaned down and brought her lips to his ear.

“I’m not sure I care.”

“We don’t want to get in trouble for public indecency.”

She realized a Wonderbolt involved in public indecency wouldn’t look good on Spitfire and moved off his chest, bowing her head to hide her reddened cheeks. Lightning rose up and leaned against the tree, before touching her shoulder.

“I thought you said—.”

“I’m sure a little cuddling is acceptable.”

“But this isn’t as sexy.” She grumbled with theatrical exaggeration like a pouty child. “Stupid laws, keeping me from fulfilling my love dreams.”

He laughed.

“When we’re alone, we finish this.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“So.” Fleetfoot nestled into his chest. “What do two ponies who love each other do?”

“Something that’s been long overdue.”

“What’s that?”

Lightning took her hoof from his neck, held it with both of his snowy white hoofs.

“Fleetfoot. Will you marry me?”

Chapter 11 Yellow Bolt

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 12 Celebrations

By the time Starlight returned to her hotel room, Spike and Twilight had already read most of the fan letters. When she noticed the massive letter pile on her bed, she was left wondering where she would sleep tonight.

“Sorry, Starlight. Spike received a lot of fan mail and I couldn’t fit them all on the desk.” Twilight said.

“It’s fine. I just wanted to say the Griffonstone team said they’re on our side now.”

“Great,” Spike said. “I’m glad you changed their mind.”

“Nah, it wasn’t me. It was mostly Dash and,” she flashed a proud grin at Spike, “a certain somedragon’s speech.”

He rubbed the back of his head as his eyes gazed down. He gave a reluctant smile, feeling pleased but flustered.

Another pony knocked on the door. Starlight opened the door to find an orange royal guard, whom she couldn’t recognize as Thorax in disguise. Twilight on the other hoof recognized the changeling immediately.

“There you are. Come in.”

With unease, Thorax realized Spike was there as well. He did his best to avoid looking Spike directly in the eye, fearing he would be instantly recognized. It would be harder to infiltrate the teams if anypony besides Twilight knew about him. He could feel Spike’s eyes trained on his face, as sweat trickled down his neck and his legs shifted.

“Relax,” Twilight said to the guard. “I’m about to tell them anyways.”

“Tell us what?” Starlight tilted her head.

“Starlight, Spike, I should probably tell you both about—.”

Before she could say a word, a third loud knock from outside interrupted Twilight.

“Twilight! Spike! Are you in there?” Spitfire’s voice rang out from the other side.

Twilight stifled her sigh, wondering how many more ponies would barge into her room, and opened the door. The yellow pegasus shifted excitedly, a teeth-filled grin on her face, a foreign expression on the normally stern captain’s face.

“Lightning Star asked Fleetfoot to marry him and she said yes!”

“No way, they got together?” Spike smiled. “That’s amazing! Where are they? I gotta congratulate them.”

“They’re in the dining hall. Pinkie’s throwing them a huge part… Well, a moderate sized party, Lightning’s not comfortable with a big party.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight said. Spike had one foot out the door, when she spoke. He turned around, looking back at the alicorn. “Since when has Lightning had a crush on Fleetfoot? Since when have they been a ‘thing?’”

Spike and Spitfire gave Twilight flat-eyed expressions. Spitfire raised an eyebrow, and Spike shook his head with a semi-amused chuckle. To her surprise, even Starlight rolled her eyes. Her lips tried to choke down a laugh.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Anypony could see they were in love,” Spitfire said. “It’s pretty obvious. I mean have you seen the way they look at each other? They can’t be in a room together without getting all flustered.”

“Seriously,” Starlight said. “I barely know Fleetfoot and even I can tell she likes him. It’s practically written all over her face.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight frowned. “I never saw that.”

“Reading ponies is different from reading books,” Starlight suggested with an innocent, teasing glance.

Twilight’s mouth stuttered as her head tried to process these events. “How’d you and Spike know?”

“Twilight, you know every spell in Equestria,” Spike said. “But when it comes to romance, you … could use some more studying.”

Baffled, Twilight found herself at a loss of words, so Spike took the opportunity to excuse himself. Spitfire wasted no time in racing to Dash’s door and delivering the news. The cyan pegasus was quick to bolt down the hall, followed by Fluttershy eager to share in the celebration. Soon, the entire hall was heading downstairs, except for Starlight and Twilight, quickly who closed her room’s door.

“Aren’t you gonna go congratulate them?” Starlight asked.

“Of course. But I was trying to tell you two something important.” She turned to the orange royal guard and nodded. “Show her.”

A lime veil flashed over his body, revealing Thorax. Starlight almost jumped in surprise.

“Thorax has been doing some undercover work for me,” Twilight explained. “I asked him to spy on the other teams to see if they know who more about who trashed Spike’s room. I was about to tell both of you.”

When Starlight said nothing, Twilight turned to Thorax. “Did you find out anything?”

“Silver Shine mentioned an old rally place for those dragon-haters he used to run with. Said it’s in downtown by the old warehouse with Sir Knight of Trottingham’s statue. Not much, but it’s a start.”

Twilight nodded. “Thanks Thorax. That’s more than enough to get started. I’ll get some royal guards and look into it.”

“Hold on,” Starlight interjected. “You’re not actually planning on going there, are you?”

“Yes, why shouldn’t I?”

“They’d recognize you in an instant.” Starlight said, “I don’t know if you know this, but you are the Princess of Friendship, and an alicorn. If they caught you…”

“I appreciate your concern, but I can look after myself.”

“Sure, but what if they recognize you and flee? Then you’ll lose them forever, and we’ll never find out what they’re up to.”

“She has a point,” Thorax conceded. “You said we have to figure out if they’re planning anything so we can stop them. We can’t do that if they recognize you and run away.”

“Plus, it’d be pretty hard trying to explain why you weren’t at Lightning’s party tonight. If anyone in the hotel is in league with the dragon-haters, they’ll notice and send word right away that you’re missing.”

“Thorax can go to the party disguised as me,” said Twilight. “No one will know the difference.”

“Spike probably will,” Thorax frowned. “I’m not sure I could trick him for a whole night. When he figures out, my disguise will get blown, and then everypony will know I’ve been spying.”

“But you’d look exactly like me. Even he couldn’t—.”

“Twilight,” Starlight fixed her eyes on the lilac alicorn, intently. “Spike’s known you all his life. In some ways, he knows you better than you know yourself. Do you really think he couldn’t recognize somepony pretending to be you?”

“Well, I…” Twilight’s voice trailed out, a slight scowl crossed her eyes. “I guess you have a point. So what do you suggest then?”

Starlight blinked and turned away, thinking of an answer. She took a deep breath and looked into Twilight’s eyes with determination. “Send me instead.”

“No, out of the question.”

“Just hear me out,” She said insistently. “Ponies probably won’t recognize me like they would you or any of your friends. Plus, if things go bad, my magic can handle the mob.”

“This is a stealth mission. I don’t want you picking a fight with them.”

“I don’t have to get directly into the action. I can stay back, let Thorax get close to them, and be there for backup if he needs it.”

Thorax said, “If I go with a few undercover royal guards, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Besides, they might not even show up.”

Even at the thought of a full battalion of royal guards, Twilight was no less uncertain or reluctant about this decision, but she didn’t see any other options.

“I won’t let you down,” Starlight promised.

“Just find out what they’re up to and get out. Do not, under any circumstances, let them see you. And whatever happens, don’t get involved. No matter what they say or do, you can’t let them find you.”

Starlight nodded.

“You two look out for each other, understand?”

Starlight nodded again.

“And stay safe.”

“We’ll be fine, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled for a moment, wondering when Starlight had grown so much from that tyrant who stole cutie marks. With a final nod, she left Starlight to her work and headed downstairs.

The mood in the dining hall was remarkably different from the previous, tense night. Instead of being at each other’s throats, every team gathered at one long table, laughing, celebrating, and wishing prosperity to the happy couple sitting at the head of the table. Hotel cakes and pies topped with vanilla ice cream lined the table, along with mugs of warm apple cider. Everypony was laughing, wearing a smile, adding to the general celebration filling the dining hall. The normally stoic Dark Spectre sang a frankly shrill love song on a karaoke machine with Pinkie Pie, holding a mug of sloshing apple cider in her hoof. Lightning and Fleetfoot couldn’t help laughing at the sight as they shamelessly cuddled.

Twilight found a seat by Spike next to Lightning Star at the head of the table. She started to say, “Congratulations on getting married,” but Pinkie and Dark Specter’s singing was drowning her out. Thunder Star blinked, wondering what Twilight had tried to say. “Sorry, what was that?” Twilight cleared her throat, “I said—.” Before she could say a word, Pinkie Pie and Dark Spectre reached the grating, chalkboard-scratching chorus. “Sweet Fluttershy, ba-ba-bum, tea time never felt so good! So good, so good, so good!”

At the other end of the table, Fluttershy sighed, hiding her head with embarrassment as ponies glanced at her. The yellow pegasus grumbled, “I’ll get Discord for making up that stupid song.” He made up the song to tease her, and to her chagrin it proved immeasurably popular. Ever since then, she couldn’t go to a single karaoke bar without hearing Discord’s obnoxious song blasted out by screechy ponies.

Still, she did her best to put aside her annoyance to look cheerful for Lightning and Fleetfoot. They seemed perfectly content, nestling into each other at the head of the table, as though they existed in their own bubble of a universe. On the other end, next to Spike sat Thunder Star, Lightning’s little sister. The doctors gave her special permission to join the celebration, provided she would return to the hospital soon after. Fluttershy and her friends agreed not to draw attention to her prosthetic legs and did their best to welcome her to the party.

Soarin and Spitfire looked teary eyed, gazing at Fleetfoot with unabashed pride. Soarin looked especially close to being on the verge of happy tears, his bottom lip quivering with a wobbling smile. As the karaoke ended, a few ponies cheered, too joyous to even care that the song was objectively terrible.

“Thank you, Baltimare!” Dark Spectre said with a little slur, before giving a very sharp belch, “Excuse me.”

“Alright everypony,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Next up we’ve got ‘Living on a Prairie,’ ‘Never cease Believing,’ and ‘Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit.’”

“Heh, heh,” Dark Spectre chuckled. “That means ‘I Salute To Our Cozy Friendship and Good Times We’re Having Together.’ Nice choice. That’s my pa’s favorite party song.”

“Can’t have a karaoke party without a few classics, am I right?”

“Actually,” Spitfire said, “Before you two go on, I’d like to make a toast.”

“Captain?” Bulk Biceps raised a hoof. “You can’t make toast without a toaster.” Ponies unfamiliar with Bulk Biceps’ struggle understanding expressions, chuckled at what they assumed to be a joke, leaving the white stallion confused as ever. He decided to remain silent in his seat for the rest of the feast. Spitfire stood up, a mug held in her hoof.

“Contrary to popular opinion,” she began, “I do care about my Wonderbolts.”

This earned another round of chuckles. Dash bit her tongue so she couldn’t blurt out, “You could’ve fooled me.”

Spitfire continued, “It’s been my privilege watching some of the finest ponies in Equestria become Wonderbolts. Of those pegasai, Fleetfoot has been one of my greatest joys to watch over. She embodies the some of the best that the Wonderbolts can be: loyal, charitable, and an incredible example for fillies everywhere. And Lightning has shown himself to be a noble stallion, a real role model to all archers in the Equestria Games. They’re both ponies who give all their time to others, whether it be serving fillies, dragons, or just acting as an inspiration to others. They stand for the best in us, in all of us: love, kindness, empathy. To be honest, I’m a little surprised they hadn’t hooked up sooner, but that’s beside the point. I’m happy that they found each other because they bring so much light and hope into this world. I’d like to wish them my blessings and a long and happy life.” She raised her mug. “Here’s to love! Cheers!”

Everyone lifted their mugs, “Cheers!” and took a swig.

Spitfire sat back down.

“Thanks Spitfire,” Fleetfoot said with a smile. “It really means a lot to me.”

“No problem,” Spitfire sniffed through her apple cider. “It’s always a pleasure watching Wonderbolts get hitched and start new lives. I just,” She took a deep breath. A smile crossed her face as her eyes watered. “I just want you two to stay together forever, cause Celestia darn it you’re too cute.”

“Um thanks.”

“And I want lots of grandkids, understand?”

As ponies chortled, Fleetfoot and Lightning reddened, their eyes wide. Fleetfoot recovered first with a nervous laugh. “Well, I appreciate that … request. But you’re not my mom.”

“I’m your Captain!” Spitfire exclaimed. “It’s basically the same thing!”

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not. You’re old enough to be my sister.”

“Sister, mom,” Spitfire shrugged, “it doesn’t matter. Wonderbolts are family, no matter what. You tell her, Soarin.

Soarin nodded, his breath heavy with apple cider. “You’d better make me an uncle.”

“We’re not even related!”

“We’re both Wonderbolts,” Soarin said. “You can’t spell ‘related’ without …” he searched for the proper words, “Wonderbolts. At least three letters from Wonderbolts.” That illogical conclusion seemed to satisfy him, so he took another swig of apple cider.

“Well, spelling aside, I appreciate the thought.” Fleetfoot managed to say honestly, in spite of the awkward direction things had gone. “And thanks to all of you for throwing us this party.”

“Yeah, you’ve all been so kind.” Lightning smiled. “Thank you so much. We’re truly lucky to have friends like you.”

“Lightning,” Thunder Star squeaked.

“Yeah?”

“Since we are related, does that mean I’m gonna be an aunt?”

Lightning blushed, finding himself at a loss for words, as the room filled with jovial laughter. Fleetfoot gave him a sly glance, offering Thunder a little wink that answered her question.

“Let’s just take it one thing at a time,” he said, “we’ll figure it out.”

As the party resumed its joyful celebration, Rarity came up to Pinkie Pie before she could start her next raucous song and whispered something into her ear. Pinkie Pie nodded with a big grin. She zoomed offstage, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake, only to reappear with a mandolin. Dark Spectre likewise retrieved her silver flute, which caught everyponies attention. Dark Spectre was a well-known flute enthusiast, but never played in front of other ponies. Pinkie tuned her instrument, while clearing her throat.

“Alright, this one goes out to Lightning and Fleetfoot. We’re gonna do a slow dance song, so grab a partner and mosey on down.”

They started a mellow love song, slower and more profound than anything Pinkie Pie would usually sing. Delicate, precise strums of the mandolin mingled with flute whistles in a sweet tune. Lightning offered Fleetfoot his hoof and led her to the dance floor. They began gently swaying to the music, slowly losing themselves in the moment. Gradually, other ponies quickly found themselves joining the couple on the dance floor. Soarin meekly offered Rainbow Dash his hoof. Even Bulk asked a surprised Fluttershy to dance and the shy mare found herself unable to refuse, if only because of how politely he asked.

“Hey Twilight,” Spike said. “Where’s Starlight?”

“Oh, she’s looking into something for me. I would’ve done it myself, but she didn’t want me to miss the party.”

“That’s too bad. She’s gonna miss the party. I guess we could save her a few cakes.” As he sipped his apple cider, Twilight couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt for not telling the whole truth, but she pushed the feeling down as best she could. “Anyways,” he said, “I’m gonna hit the dance floor. I promised someone a dance.”

“Rarity?”

“Later. For now, Thunder Star. I can’t disappoint a fan.”

Spike slid from his chair and extended his claws to Thunder, “Milady?”

“Spike, I can’t,” she said.

“But, you said you really wanted to.”

“That was before I saw all these ponies. I can’t do it with them looking at me. I’ll fall.”

“Don’t look at them, just look at me. I promise you, I won’t let you fall.”

She hesitantly took his claws and let him lead her to the dance floor. Spike steadied her with his claws, helping her balance and sway to the music. Twilight felt a smile stretching across her lips. The sight of Spike bringing a smile to a filly was truly magical. Rarity sat down next to Twilight and followed her gaze.

“Spike sure has grown up.” Twilight said with a nod towards them.

“I’ve noticed. Believe me, I’ve noticed.”

Twilight wondered what Rarity meant by that, but the unicorn wouldn’t say another word.

Starlight shivered in the Baltimare night, partly regretting her voluntary decision as she staked out on the top of a building overlooking the dumpy street. It’d been three hours since she arrived, and there was still no sign of activity. She stifled her yawn, doing her best to keep watch over the streets.

Then, she saw it. A trio of ponies, with faces covered by hoods and blank, expressionless masks, setting up a podium before the Sir Knight of Trottingham statue, then leaving without a word. Starlight remained motionless, peering through her binoculars to try identifying some of their physical features. Sadly, they’d covered themselves up under heavy clothing, leaving nothing, not even a cutie mark.

She grabbed her walkie-talkie, “This is Starlight. I just saw three hooded ponies set up a podium. Something might be happening after all.”

“I saw them too,” Thorax said. “Should we follow them?”

“We already have one guard following them,” A guard said. “For now, the rest of us should wait here. They must’ve set that up for a reason.”

Starlight did her best to get comfortable for the long night ahead.

As the party ended and ponies retired, Fleetfoot and Lightning Star remained behind with the teams of Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, and Cloudsdale. Since the party died down, Twilight finally had a chance to congratulate Fleetfoot and Lightning.

“I’ve been trying to tell you two all night, congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Fleetfoot said. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“I did. You couldn’t hear me.”

“Well, we’re really happy to hear you say it now,” Lightning said. “Actually, if it’s not too much trouble, we’d like to ask you a favor.”

“Okay, what?”

“Fleetfoot and I’ve been talking about the wedding, and we want to get married as soon as possible. We don’t really want anything big or crazy, just a quaint, little ceremony. All the ponies we love are here right now. So we were wondering if you’d do us the honor.”

Twilight frowned. “Sorry, I don’t follow.”

“This is going to sound rash and maybe even crazy,” Said Fleetfoot. “But we just can’t wait another day. We want you to perform our marriage ceremony now.”

“Oh,” Twilight managed to keep her jaw from dropping. “You want me to perform the wedding ceremony?”

“You are a princess,” Fleetfoot said. “We just assumed you could.”

“I-well I,” she stammered, “I’ve never really done anything like that. I’m not sure where to begin or what to say. I’m not even sure I could. I might not have the proper legal authority.”

Pinkie Pie leapt in between them, “I can do it! I can marry you.”

“Uh, Pinkie?” Said Bulk, “Fleetfoot wants to marry Lightning, not you.”

“That’s not what I…” Pinkie Pie sighed, letting her voice trail off. “Dang it Bulk,” she grumbled under her breath.

“Sorry, did I say something?”

“I’m supposed to be the funny pony. Stop stealing my thunder!”

“‘Your thunder?’ Are you saying you’re Thunder Star’s mom?”

“Wow.” Pinkie Pie’s eyes flattened. “I walked into that one.”

“How do you walk into motherhood? It’s an abstract concept, the literal state of being a mother, not some sort of wall you can just walk into.”

“Sorry, Pinkie,” Fleetfoot said hoping to get the conversation back on track. “What did you say about marrying?”

She cleared her throat. “If you need somepony to get you two married I’m your mare.”

“Pinkie, this is serious,” Twilight said.

“I am being serious. Legally, I’m empowered to perform marriage ceremonies.”

“What? Since when?”

She reached into her fluffy mane and pulled out a marriage officiant certificate,

bearing Princess Celestia’s royal seal. “I’ve had to throw a few wedding parties and figured it would come in handy, like right now.”

Within an hour, Pinkie set up the altar and rows of chairs for the wedding pews Rarity managed to sew a humble but elegant wedding dress for Fleetfoot. Spitfire and Soarin agreed that he would walk her down the aisle and Spitfire would be her Maid of Honor. Lightning considered asking Silver Shine to be his Best Man, but the elder had turned in long ago. Thankfully, Spike was more than ready to step up. Soon, they began the procession and Fleetfoot stood before Lighting at the altar. Pinkie went through a lengthy wedding speech before turning to the married couple.

“Do you both promise to love each other in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?”

“We do.”

“Then by the power vested in me by Her Majesty Princess Celestia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Needing no further incentive, they leaned in and kissed each other. Everypony applauded, filling the room with whistles and cheers. As everyone left, Twilight watched Lightning and Fleetfoot wish everyone goodnight, thanking the doctor for bringing Thunder Star and walking them to the hotel doors. Thunder gave them both a hug before departing for the hospital, and the newly weds headed to their couple suite. Twilight felt lighter, as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. In the midst of tragedy, it seemed miracles could happen. She only felt guilty that Starlight had to miss it.

Starlight wiped her burning eyelids, reddened with exhaustion. Five hours since the podium was set up, and nothing happened since. The long hours were quickly setting in, as she found herself blinking off to sleep, before a voice snapped her back awake.

“Starlight, this is Thorax. Do you copy?”

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“There’s a group of hooded ponies making their way down the street. Looks like they’re headed right for the statue. I’m going to sneak in and see what I can figure out.”

“Be careful.”

Soon enough, the group came into sight. Like phantoms they glided across the street bearing torches and flags, whilst chanting in uniform.

“You won’t burn us out! You won’t burn us out!”

They filled the street, some fifty hooded figures. They brought out a straw effigy made to resemble Spike, before setting it ablaze. Flickering ashes trailed into the sky, and they continued to chant, while a single hooded pony took to the podium.

“Brothers, sisters,” he said with a throaty voice that commanded absolute authority, “I stand before you today with pride in my heritage as a pony, with pride in my heritage as the true citizen of Equestria, and with disgust for the monarchy that continues to side with monsters, with creatures who do not represent the pride and solidarity of ponykind as we do. I stand before you, determined to lead you to change and justice. To show them the strength of our creed.”

“You won’t burn us out!”

Everything he said was met with applause. He kept using words like “monster, lizard, traitors.” He pointedly mentioned Spike and Twilight to a round of hisses and boos, before arguing they were opposed to pony-rights. This received more chants, “You won’t burn us out!” The speaker seemed to know exactly what to say to prey on his audience’s fears, stoking their blazing hate with his fire poker voice. Hearing his words laced with hatred and bile made Starlight feel physically ill.

He said, “We don’t have to be afraid of who we are. We know what we want. Equestria for ponies only!”

“You won’t burn us out!”

He went on, “Princess Twilight has betrayed all ponies by siding with a dragon, monsters that have been attacking ponies since the dawn of our great nation. They’ve burned us, attacked us, and killed us. Never forget the wrongs they have done you.”

“You won’t burn us out!”

“They have no place in Equestria, and demanding we give up our rights for them is the highest form of hypocrisy.”

“You won’t burn us out!”

“Princess Celestia cannot be trusted to protect ponies. Her refusal to drive dragons from our lands caused the Fillydelphia attack. Her highness will not defend us. We, who founded this great world, we, the first to build civilization, this great kingdom, have become the persecuted within our own kingdom. Dragons walk among us, plotting to uproot everything Equestria stands for. So tonight, we take actions to defend ourselves.”

“You won’t burn us out!”

“The media refuses to cover the many ways dragons have attacked ponies, how nonponies constantly threaten us. Why? Because they don’t think we matter. But tonight, we show them the truth.”

“You won’t burn us out!”

“Tonight, we show that ponies will not be consigned to history, that we will rise to our rightful place. We send a message to our Prince Blueblood, who swore to remove the lizard from the Games. We show him that we, his supporters, stand behind him in defending the rights of ponies. Come the Games, we will show them the strength of our creed.”

“YOU WON’T BURN US OUT!”

The speaker opened his mouth to speak, when his eyes locked onto a face in the crowd. The crowd noticed his silence. Unconsciously, they backed away from the pony he stared at, whose body betrayed nervous trembling. The speaker pointed a hoof at the trembling pony.

“My fellow ponies, it would seem we have a guest. And not just any guest: the King of all Changelings. Seize him.”

The ponies pounced on Thorax with their torches, but Thorax transformed into a bear and tried to push through the crowd. They raked his sides with their torches while chanting their creed. Starlight teleported down and stopped the mob in a single magic spell. They remained suspended in air, helpless in her magic aura.

“You’re all under arrest for conspiracy, treason, and assault,” Starlight said as the royal guards emerged from their hiding spots to join her. She turned to the speaker on the podium with a harsh glare. “You have a lot to answer for.”

He snorted. “I was expecting Twilight, but I guess you’ll do.”

The guards moved to arrest the hooded figure, when they heard the thundering of hoofs pattered towards them. Starlight turned around. Nearly a hundred hooded ponies charged into the plaza with torches, rods, and makeshift weapons. Their chanted creed thundered in the night as they flooded into the street. An ambush. They crashed into the royal guards, who managed to hold the mob back with defensive shield spells. Blue shields stopped the first wave of assaulters from taking a step further, but more rushed forward pushing the guards. Hooded unicorns launched bolts of magic electricity at the guards. One stray bolt slipped through the shield spells and electrocuted a guard. His shield faltered, leaving a vulnerable gap in their defenses. As Starlight readied her spell to freeze them all, a dozen hooded figures burst through the line and piled onto the guards. Before they could land a single blow, Starlight blasted the hooded ponies away from the guards, and cast a spell to contain the protestors.

A feeble glassy wall surrounded the protestors, only to crumble away. Her heart skipped a beat as a weakness coursed through her body. She tried to cast another spell. Her horn sparked, but couldn’t summon up enough energy for a single spell. Had her lack of sleep debilitated her magic? With panic, she realized she could no longer feel her magic. This moment of weakness proved fatal when her eyes went blind, red from the sudden sharp pain in the back of her head. Then, her vision faded into darkness.

As soon as she fell, the mob retreated into the streets, leaving the battered guards panting for air. Thorax limped towards Starlight. He screamed for the guards’ help. They surrounded Starlight and checked her pulse. Crimson liquid puddled around the crown of her head.

Chapter 13 Aftermath

Baltimare’s Emergency Room, 6 am.

The two doctors worked tirelessly on the unconscious pink unicorn. Through the window, seven ponies and one dragon watched helplessly, as one of their best friends lay motionless save for the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Spike’s accusatory, grief-filled eyes stared at Twilight.

“I tried to, really I did. But we kept getting interrupted and after the wedding I just forgot.”

“You forgot Starlight?”

Scalding tears trickled down the face of the Princess of Friendship, the weight of her apprentice’s condition and her own unintentional hand in it crashing down on her. At the sight of his family, his literal hero crying, Spike’s anger melted away. He quickly embraced Twilight, stroking the back of her neck.

“It ain’t your fault, sugar cube,” said Applejack, laying a hoof on her shoulder.

“Yes it is. I should’ve been out there.”

“So y’all could end up like Starlight? They were expecting you. They wanted to get you. Thanks to Starlight, they didn’t.”

Twilight gritted her teeth. Electric crackles sparked forth from the tip of her horn. “When I find the ones responsible…” She let the threat hang in the air, finishing the deadly thought with the flickering lights and wind whistling around her like the start of a hurricane. Then, she fell back into tears.

After hours that seemed to stretch into days, a doctor came out of the room. Spike and the others rushed over.

“Is she going to make it?” he asked.

“Physically, she’s perfectly fine. Just a mild concussion. But there is something we can’t explain. She seems to have lost her magical powers.”

“What?” Twilight gasped. “But how?”

“We’re not sure. To my knowledge, unicorns can’t lose their magic under normal circumstances. Unless these ponies she was investigating had some form of arcane magic or magic-nullifying tools, there isn’t any rational explanation for it. We’ll do the best we can to help her recover, but if we can’t find anything…” the doctor’s eyes glanced away for a moment. He looked through the glass window at Starlight, letting out an uneasy sigh. “She might have to get used to living without magic.”

As the doctor went back to the emergency room, Twilight stared blankly at Starlight.

“That’s why they wanted me. They wanted to take away my magic. But they got Starlight instead. This really is my fault.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “You weren’t the one who took her magic. It’s not like you knew they could even do that.”

“Magic-stealing dragon-haters.” Rarity cringed. Her voice shook with fear. “Baltimare isn’t safe for anypony. Not anymore.”

“Maybe,” Bulk said, “We should go home.”

“No.” Spike’s voice sent a quiet through the room. They turned to look at him. His body trembled, his throat swallowing tears, but he clenched his fists defiantly. “This shows why we can’t give up.”

As they remained silent, digesting Spike’s response, Starlight’s eyes blinked awake, her head slowly turning to her friends gathered at the window. A faint smile spread across her face.

The mood in the Canterlot Palace turned sour when they heard of Starlight’s condition. Now, the Royal Council feared that if the Princesses went to Baltimare they would suffer the same fate. Naturally, Prince Blueblood, ever the opportunist, stoked those fears, all but forcing the council to vote on whether Princess Celestia and Princess Luna should attend the Games or remain in Canterlot. In Princess Celestia’s royal chambers, both rulers awaited the jury’s ruling. The wait proved irritating for Princess Luna, who paced across the marbled floor.

“This is absurd!” Princess Luna exclaimed. Her voice practically roared through the castle. “Horrendous! I can’t believe you’d let them vote on this.”

“Democracy means giving everyone a voice, Luna” Princess Celestia sighed. “As much as we may not like it.”

“You know why Prince Blueblood is doing this. He wants to make sure we can’t help Spike. And keeping us away from Baltimare means it’ll only be a matter of time before he bans him.”

“Give him the benefit of the doubt, Luna. He does want to protect us from the mob. Everyone in the council does.”

“Please. He can’t push forward his dragon-intolerant regime and claim he’s just looking out for everypony,” Said Princess Luna as she paced across the hall.

“Think about the situation for a second, sister. If we lost our magic, who would raise the sun and moon?”

“Government’s changed a lot since the thousand years I spent on the moon.” Princess Luna frowned. “This ‘thing’ you call ‘democracy?’ It doesn’t seem to get much done.”

“Sometimes it is frustrating. But I thought everypony deserved a voice. Maybe it could’ve stopped Sombra from rising to power.”

“I suppose,” Princess Luna said. “But I still don’t like this.”

“Well, on the bright side,” Princess Celestia glanced smartly at Luna from the corner of her eye, “We still have some bargaining power.”

“How so?”

Princess Celestia gave a mischievous smile as though she had stolen the last piece of cake and was now savoring every last sweet bite. “We refuse to comply unless they meet our demands.”

They heard hoofsteps coming down the hallway and assumed their positions on their thrones.

“Your highnesses, the council has reached a decision,” said the messenger.

“Really?” Said Princess Celestia innocently, as though she truly had no idea what the council decided.

Princess Luna picked up after her sister, following her unassuming lead. “And what do they believe would be best?”

“They believe you should both remain in Canterlot for your own protection and the safety of our kingdom. They also believe Princess Twilight Sparkle should be removed from Baltimare as soon as possible.”

“I will adhere to their decision and stay in Canterlot,” said Princess Celestia, “but only on the condition Twilight Sparkle remains in Baltimare with Spike.”

Princess Luna nodded, “And I will concede on the condition that Ponyville and Spike are allowed to participate in the Games, without any complaint.”

The messenger’s lips twisted with displeasure. “Perhaps, we could reach different conditions?”

“Certainly,” Princess Celestia said, bringing the briefest smile to the messenger’s face. “Luna goes to the Games, Twilight is removed, and Spike participates.”

“Or perhaps,” Luna said, “My sister goes to the Games instead of me.” And with that, the smile vanished from the messenger’s face.

“Really, your majesties, be reasonable. Equestria depends on both of you. If something were to happen to either of you—.”

“I understand why you’re afraid to return to Prince Blueblood with this message,” Said Princess Celestia. “Tell him and the council that this is my decision.”

“Our decision,” Luna added. “He’s been avoiding us ever since he announced plans to ban Spike. He hasn’t held one single hearing in defense of Spike. If he’d like to defend his plan in court before all of Equestria, then maybe we could discuss this like adults. If not, then I suppose we’ll just have to ignore him as he’s ignored us.”

“But your majesties,” he said, “You can’t just ignore the Royal Council.”

“We aren’t,” Princess Celestia said with an almost smug grin. “Before we agree to anything, we have to answer the question that no pony’s been willing to face: When will the council debate if Spike and Ponyville can participate in the Games? No more stalling, no more half-promises. We’ve given the courts time to decide, and now we want a verdict. If they say no, then I’m afraid we will have to intervene.”

He trembled with frustration, “You can’t just override the council like this.”

“Actually, we can. When the council fails to defend the rights of a town or individual, we must act. I’ve given them time to consider the case. Now, I expect an answer within the hour.”

Creases appeared across the messenger’s forehead. With an exhausted sigh, he bowed, “Right away, your majesties.” He turned around, and trod back to the council room, reluctant to deliver the message.

“I think I’m starting to see some of the benefits of this ‘democracy,’ sister,” said Princess Luna. “But I still have apprehensions about this whole ordeal.”

“Have faith, Luna. Twilight hasn’t failed me yet. As long as she has her friends, she never will.” Princess Celestia’s eyes turned to the window, as though she were trying to project herself to Baltimare.

Author's Note

Sorry for the brevity. This was supposed to be part of a longer chapter, but the rest of it is being edited. I hope to post it within the week. I felt like I just had to post something so I posted this. Anyways, thanks for tuning in.

Chapter 14 Desires

In the coliseum, Ponyville’s team was busy training for the Games. Spike had spent almost an hour practicing his archery, and although his fingers were almost numb, he refused to stop. Tomorrow the Games would begin, and he wanted to be as ready as possible. Sure, his friends said he would be ready but he wanted to be at his best. As his arm muscles began to ache, he remembered how he got sick from exercising without taking a break. Despite the painful ache in his arms, the young dragon was tempted to push forward, until memories of his past bought with exhaustion returned to him.

“I think it’s time for a break.”

He quietly laid his bow down, before taking a seat on the ground. Though his moment of relief was short lived, as Rainbow quickly walked towards him, letter clamped between her jaws.

“More fan mail?”

“Nope, it’s from Lightning Star.”

Spike practically tore the grass up from beneath him, jumping to his feet. “What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know but he said it’s urgent.”

Within moments, the rest of Ponyville’s team gathered around. Once they were all seated, Spike opened the letter and read it aloud.

“Dear Spike,

I talked to the ponies who have direct ties to overseeing the Games, and I got some information you should know. This year, the Game Officials plan on having more archery contests than previous years. Normally there are only three to four contests, but this year, there are more than fifteen. Word is Prince Blueblood wants to give Silver Shine a good send off since this is his last appearance. As such, he’s bringing back some older challenges from when Silver was my age. Most notably, Arrow Tag.”

Spike glanced up at Dash, hoping for some explanation, only for her to shake her head. “Sorry, I’ve never heard of it. Keep reading; maybe there’s more.”

Spike glanced down at the letter and read through. “Lightning says its like dodge ball, except with foam arrows, it takes place in a maze. Looks like it’s a free-for-all match between every team. Whoever hits the most opponents, wins.”

“That’s not good,” Dash grumbled. “That kind of contest favors cities with more than one archer, like Fillydelphia, Trottingham, or Yan Hoover.”

“That’s what Lightning’s worried about,” Spike said. “He says the Baltimare, Fillydelphia, and Manehatten teams will probably be after me.” His mouth felt dried out, imagining every participant with their bows aimed directly at him. The thought certainly didn’t help him relax. “That means I’d be facing off against Yellow Bolt, Silver Shine, and Dark Spectre.”

“You can handle them,” Twilight said.

“You think so?” Spike asked, hoping she wasn’t just saying that to reassure him.

“I’m certain of it,” Twilight placed her hoof on his shoulder. “Lightning taught you archery that’s perfectly suited for this kind of match. You can pretty much shoot on the move and aim, draw, and fire in one motion. You’ll launch the first arrow before they even have a chance. Plus, you’re smaller than any other of the pony participants, so you’ll be harder to hit.”

Spike rolled his eyes, “Never thought I’d be grateful to be small.”

Dash frowned in thought. “If ponies haven’t played this contest in decades, there’s only three possible reasons why. Either it was too dangerous, which seems unlikely, it took too long to wrap up, or it was too one-sided.”

“Umm, how do you wrap up archery?” Bulk asked with a half-smile.

Dash gave him an unamused glance. “That was another expression.”

“I kinda thought so,” Bulk admitted. “Sometimes ponies laugh whenever I say stuff, so I thought maybe I could say something that would make you all laugh. You know, so Spike could feel less stressed about this arrow tag. I guess that doesn’t work cause I constantly misconstrue your expressions.”

“Misconstrue-what?” Dash raised an eyebrow. “Use words, Bulk.”

“Misconstrue is a word, Dash.”

“Words that make sense.”

“Oh, I gotcha.” Bulk winked. “Well, then my words often leave a sour taste in your mouth because I never see the true meaning of your expressions. Whenever I talk, you hear the confused chatter of a stallion who always smells like sweat. I usually can’t quite touch upon the real meaning of what ponies say. So you wouldn’t be able to tell when I’m actually joking, because you don’t have a sixth sense to read my mind.”

“What the heck are you saying?”

“You said use words that make sense. Don’t you know about the five senses?”

Rarity quickly interrupted the exchange. “What else does the letter say?”

Spike read on. “The teams might form alliances. So this could become a battle between those supporting me and those siding with Blueblood.”

“That would be an almost even fight,” Said Twilight.

“He says some of the other archers can teleport, cast shields, or even hold down an opponent. Looks like Silver Shine’s got a gift in teleportation. He used to be known as ‘the Silver Blur’ because he was so fast.” Spike’s free hand had to massage his aching temples. “Oh mane. How am I supposed to win if I can’t even hit him?”

“Remember, teleportation isn’t an exact science,” Twilight said. “If a caster runs out of magic, they can’t teleport. You can win as long as you wear him out. I should be able to help, just need to measure how much magic he has.”

“Easier said than done. Lightning told me the only reason arrow tag hasn’t been in the last few games is because of Silver. He’s held the championship title for the event since he started participating up until it was removed from the games. Nopony was ever able to hit him, so what chance do I have?”

“Calm down,” Said Twilight putting a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Maybe nopony has beat him, but I know you can. We just need to work out a strategy. Does Lightning have any tips?”

“He wants to meet me tonight, during the Crystal Empire’s training session and show me a few moves that might help.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Dash said.

“This still sounds fishy,” Rarity grimaced. “I’ll bet that no-good Blueblood chose this event because he knew it would put Spike at a disadvantage.”

Bulk bit his tongue, swallowing his question of what a fish would sound like, fearing it would just annoy them. Instead, he simply said, “Maybe.”

“Well, even if he did,” Twilight said, “He’s an elected official. We can’t make claims against him without proof. Let’s just focus on what we can do. Then, we’ll worry about him. For now let’s work on strategies to deal with Silver’s teleportation. I know I brought some books on teleportation and its potential flaws.”

Before she could begin a lecture, a royal guard interrupted them, “Excuse me, Princess Twilight. Yellow Bolt came to us. He says he has information regarding those who attacked Starlight.”

“That’s great, I’ll speak with him at once.”

“That’s the problem,” the guard said. “He said he’d only talk to Spike.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“He doesn’t think you’ll treat him fairly. He’s willing to talk to Spike because he asked the royal guard not to interrogate Yellow during his training sessions.”

Spike said, “I guess I did say that.”

“It was very nice of you,” Said Fluttershy. “Especially after he was so unkind.”

“Wait a minute,” Dash said, “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. He made all the other teams angry at Spike, went out of his way to be a jerk, and now he wants to help us?”

“It is most peculiar,” Rarity agreed.

“Ya think it’s a trap?” Applejack asked. “Honestly, I wouldn’t put it beyond that Yeller to pull something.”

“You’re probably right,” Twilight said. “And frankly, I don’t want to take the chance.” She turned to the guard, “Tell Yellow Bolt—.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Spike interrupted. They turned to look at him. “I’ll hear what he has to say.” He raised a hand to stop Twilight from rebuking him. “Starlight’s in the hospital, Twilight. She might never use magic again. If Yellow Bolt knows anything that could help us find those responsible, then I can’t just ignore it.”

“But he brought everypony against you the first night we were here. How could you even think of talking with him?”

Spike folded his arms across his chest. “Didn’t you give Starlight a second chance? She stole your cutie marks and nearly destroyed Equestria, but we gave her a chance. Why not him?”

Twilight sighed. “I understand your point, Spike. But I just don’t trust him.”

“Excuse me,” Bulk said. “I know I’m not smart like you all, but I do have an opinion. Would it be alright if I said it?”

They all nodded.

“I understand why you’re worried, Twilight, and you should too, Spike. Yellow Bolt’s done nothing but stir up trouble for us at every turn. It’s hard not to think he could be responsible for trashing our room.”

“Oh yeah.” Suddenly, Spike began to wonder if he was too naïve in assuming he could trust Yellow.

“But on the other hoof,” Bulk said, “Yellow’s been the only one so far to show any kind of restraint. He’s never done anything violent to Spike, and even calls him by his actual name. I’m not saying he’s been good pony, but maybe there’s some good in him. If we don’t reach out, we’ll never know.”

Twilight nodded. “I guess it would be presumptuous to assume he’s with the dragon-haters.”

“Yeah,” Bulk said. “I’m not an element of harmony like the rest of you, but those are just my thoughts.”

“And we appreciate it, Bulk,” Twilight smiled. “You’re just as important to this discussion as any of us.” Bulk, blushing embarrassed at the praise, could only reply with a humble, little bow. She turned to the guard, “Spike can speak with him. But make sure Yellow doesn’t try anything sneaky.”

Before he could leave, Spike belched out a scroll, bearing Princess Celestia’s seal. “Would it be okay if I go talk to Yellow now?” Spike said as he handed her the letter. “I don’t want to be held up for some new Canterlot emergency.”

“Get going,” Twilight said. “If the letter’s important, I’ll tell you later.”

Spike left with the Royal Guard, as Twilight opened the newest letter. As she read, her face paled and her eyes widened.

“What is it? What does it say?” Asked Dash.

“The Royal Council has forbidden Princess Celestia and Princess Luna from attending the Games.”

“WHAT?!” Everypony screamed.

“The council was worried the anti-dragon group would steal their magic like Starlight,” Twilight said. “So they’re staying in Canterlot for their own protection. At Prince Blueblood’s insistence.”

“I knew it. That conniving little weasel.” Rarity grumbled. “What does this mean for Spike? Can he still participate?”

“And what about you? You’re a princess too,” Applejack said. “What’d they say about you?”

After reading a little further Twilight relaxed a little bit. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna managed to convince the council to let me stay with Spike. They also made sure that Ponyville could participate in the Games.”

“There’s some good news at least,” Pinkie Pie gave a little smile.

“But without the Princesses,” Twilight said, feeling a heavy weight on her shoulders, “Prince Blueblood could rig some little detail of the Games against Spike. I might not even notice.”

“If he does anything to hurt our little Spikey-wikey, the Princesses will be the last thing he’ll have to worry about,” Said Rarity as she clenched her teeth. Everypony nodded in agreement.

Pinkie Pie turned to Twilight, “You’re a princess. Can’t you just order him to be nice?”

“He controls the Games, remember? Royalty can’t interfere. If he could ban Princess Celestia and Luna, it’s no stretch that he could ban me too if I do something he doesn’t like. I need more power over him, someway to keep him from abusing Spike or rigging the Games.”

“Like what?” Asked Pinkie.

“I don’t know,” Twilight shrugged. “In all honesty, I doubt he’d even listen to me.

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy’s tiny voice peeped up. “Well, I just think that since you’re a princess, you could maybe do somethings to put pressure on him so he treats Spike fairly.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Well, it’s just that Spike’s made a lot of powerful friends, like Thorax and Princess Ember, who would hate to see him get hurt,” Said Fluttershy. “You are still royalty, so you could, perhaps, send them invitations? Don’t you think they’d like to see Spike in the Games?”

Slowly, a grin spread across Twilight’s face. “Fluttershy, you wicked genius.” She began drafting her invitational letters in her mind as she went to get some paper.

At Silver’s private archery range, the master took a deep breath and readied himself. Beyond the reinforced windows of his studio, spectators observed him as he entered the room, littered with arrows and targets. He seemed tranquil, completely still, like a solitary oak. His eyes were closed, but his mind was already several steps ahead. When the timekeeper hit the stopwatch, Silver vanished in a burst of grey light and reappeared with seven arrows.

He teleported to the top of a makeshift wall and launched six arrows within seconds, hitting six targets around him. Silver Shine warped across the field, picking up three arrows from the ground, and nailed three dummies meters apart on opposite sides. By the time each arrow hit its mark, Silver had already teleported to center of the field, retrieved five more arrows, and sent each racing into another five leather dummies. He was a blur, picking up arrows scattered across the floor, embedding them in his targets with uncanny precision. As soon as an arrow hit his mark, he was already firing three more from the other side of the room. His movements and attacks were coordinated like a rehearsal, a chess game he’d already won in his mind. He struck the hundredth target with ease. Silver exhaled, and looked at the timekeeper with the stopwatch.

“A little over two minutes and thirty seconds,” he said, earning a round of applause.

“That slow?” Silver said with a half-smile. “I really am getting old.”

The spectators chuckled along with their employer until the half-smile vanished from Silver’s face.

“Bring in the archers,” Silver said. “I don’t expect to be fighting stationary targets.”

Fifteen archers with foam arrows entered the arena, looks of apprehension etched on their faces. Each clad in their protective headgear and turned to their employer, yet they were still hesitant to face him. Servants came forward and suited Silver with his own headgear, while janitors quickly replaced the iron-headed arrows with foam tipped ones. Once the field was set, Silver turned to his crew.

“Don’t baby me. I expect each of you to give it your all.” Silver narrowed his eyes, “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir,” they said in unison, taking places across the arena, surrounding Silver. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, working out the battle in his head step by step. He imagined taking his title back from Lightning Star, the glory of besting that filthy dragon archer. Once the starting bell rang and the archers began to fire, he had already beaten them. When the starting bell rang tomorrow, he would beat Lightning Star and Spike.

Meanwhile, as he drew closer to Yellow’s room, Spike was having second thoughts about the meeting. Spike still harbored plenty of resentment for Yellow’s cold reception of him earlier this week, and his attempts to stir up the other teams didn’t help. Still, he promised to give Yellow a chance. For Starlight, he had to at least listen. As he and the guard approached the room, he pushed away his fears and knocked on the door.

“Yellow Bolt? It’s me, Spike. The guards said you want to talk?”

A raspy voice replied, “Door’s open, come on in.”

Spike hesitated a moment, still unnerved at the prospect of being alone with Yellow.

“I said come in.” Yellow said, “I’m not getting any younger!”

Spike reminded himself that Starlight was counting on him as he opened the door and went inside.

Yellow Bolt sat on the edge of his bed, misty sweat streaked across his forehead. He almost seemed like a child, waking up from a nightmare, terrified and alone. The moment he saw Spike, he quickly assumed a more domineering posture, muffling his fears behind a mask of pride. Still, that mask seemed far less imposing than it did a few days ago; he looked weaker, haunched over and troubled.

“So,” Spike said, stepping further into the room, “you wanted to tell me something?”

Yellow nodded. “I heard your friend got attacked by those fanatics.”

“Do you know something about them?”

Yellow looked away. “Can I ask you something first? You don’t think it makes you weak, if you can’t bring yourself to hate the ponies who hurt you? If you still defend them? Still, love who they used to be?”

“What are you talking about?” Spike folded his arms across his chest. “Yellow, my friend is in the hospital. If you have anything that could help her, please just say it.”

Yellow Bolt shook his head. “I guess you couldn’t understand.”

He turned to his desk and pulled out three photographs of three different stallions from his drawer, quickly tossing them Spike. Each stallion had frozen yellow eyes of amber, glinting like the edge of a knife. He glanced up at Yellow, waiting for an explanation. Looking at the old photos seemed to make Yellow shiver and grow pale. When he noticed Spike staring at him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Their names are Crimson Bolt, White Bolt, and Iron Bolt. They’re my brothers.” Yellow looked at Spike for a reaction but found none. Spike was busy staring at their faces, searching for Yellow’s likeness. “Most ponies remember them for taking gold medals in the Games and setting records in everything they did. About ten years ago, Crimson Bolt won a whole fencing tournament and a martial arts tournament without getting hit even once. Then, he set new records in the 100, 200, and even the 400-meter sprint. Three years later, White Bolt got three medals in gymnastics, and two for running long jump and the wall climb. Then, he got six spellcasting medals. Two years later, Iron Bolt got medals in weightlifting, shot put, javelin throw, and hammer toss. He even won a boxing tournament by total knock out. They were undefeated in anything they did.”

“Wow.” Spike realized even Rainbow Dash probably didn’t have that many records.

“Yeah, they were amazing.” He said, “A lot of their success was thanks to our dad. He always pushed us to be the best in anything we did, said we had to show the world that ponies were the toughest, strongest, and most gifted creatures in Equestria. He always ranted and raved how if we let any other species beat us, it’d make ponies obsolete. Guess you could say he’s the reason for our viewpoints on other races.”

“Charming,” Spike muttered with a flat expression.

“You didn’t know him,” Yellow snapped.

“Sorry,” Spike said. “Please continue.”

He took a deep breath. “He was, well he used to be my hero. As far as dads go, he was pretty good.” Yellow gave a small grin, “I remember one time I wanted to turn in the best project for my school’s science fair, so he stayed up all night helping me on a subject that he knew nothing about. My brothers helped me too. In the end, we only managed to get ourselves stuck in great glue covered mess. Of course, we just ended up laughing and rolling around in newspapers, like a bunch of fillies.”

He gave a soft laugh, recalling how long it took washing out that sticky glue from their fur. Spike almost found himself smiling until Yellow’s smile dipped into a frown. “Dad was the ringleader for the biggest pony supremacist group in Fillydelphia. He lobbied the Fillydelphia Governors to banish the dragons of Dragon Town and did his best to make every dragon as miserable as possible. His group was probably the one that attacked your friend; hoods, torches, effigies, it fits.”

“Where is he?” Asked Spike. “Your dad?”

“Fillydelphia Cemetery,” Yellow said without changing his somber expression. “He died last week.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Yellow.

“What’re you apologizing for?”

Yellow shrugged, as though he knew but could not explain his apology in cumbersome words. “Being useless, I guess.”

“Do you know who’s running the organization?”

“If I had to guess, one of my brothers. They’d be next in line for leadership.”

“Do you know where I can find them?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head. That hesitation disturbed Spike.

“Yellow, if you know something—.”

“I don’t,” he said, a bit too quickly. He seemed to be more angered and defensive than guilty. “Look, I get that you have every reason to doubt me, but it’s the truth.”

Realizing Yellow was becoming frustrated, Spike decided to take a different approach. “What about their magic powers?”

Yellow frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Do they or any of their followers practice any dangerous magic?”

“As far as I know, they don’t have any magic beyond what a normal unicorn has. That could’ve changed in the past few years, but I doubt it. Hate groups don’t usually attract geniuses. They do attract rich ponies with lots of money, but not so much ponies with actual magical talent.”

“Can you give any names?”

“I wouldn’t know who’s in the group these days. To them, I’ve been dead ever since I turned fifteen.”

“So you really don’t know?”

"No." Yellow scowled, realizing Spike had become suspicious. “You don’t trust me.”

Spike didn’t bother denying it or see any point in denying it. He shrugged. “Can you blame me?”

His scowl softened. “No, I guess not. But believe it or not, I don’t hate dragons.”

“Forgive me, but I do find that hard to believe,” Spike said.

“You want to know why being at the Games means everything to me? Why I thought you would ruin everything for me? This was my one chance to get my dad to love me again, like he used to, before I became friends with dragons.”

Spike stood rigid, “What?”

“When I was ten, I went to Dragon Town without telling my family. I just wanted to know why they hated dragons so much. When I went there, I was expecting monsters, but instead I met some of the kindest, gentlest folk I’d ever known. None of them cared that I was a pony or who my dad was. They weren’t ugly or dumb, they weren’t even dangerous. They just welcomed me and showed me their world. Those dragons were the best friends I ever knew. For five years, I’d sneak out to visit Dragon Town whenever I had the chance….then my dad found out.” Bolt actually clenched his eyes and teeth at the harsh memories of his childhood. “He was so furious with me, he got my brothers to pin me down and flog me for hours, all for making friends with dragons. Of course they were all too happy to take part, but my dad, he just sat there and watched it happen. He didn’t yell, curse, or even say anything. He just stared at me with this cold, empty look in his eyes, and that hurt more than any beating my brothers gave me.”

Spike felt furious bile rise in his throat. “That’s horrible! How could he do that to his own son?” Despite distrusting Yellow, Spike found tears running down his eyes.

Yellow looked away. “My dad said I was betraying my own race, that I was a weak coward. Looking at things now, maybe he was right.” His hooves began trembling.

He felt warm claws on his hooves, steadying him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Spike, right beside him, laying his claws over his hooves.

“I’m sorry he made you feel that way, but he was wrong. Today, you came forward and talked to me, to get justice for Starlight. I can’t even imagine how much courage that took, especially after what he did to you.”

Yellow gave a ghost of a smile. “You know what’s really messed up? I still love my dad and my brothers. Or I love who they used to be.”

Overwhelmed with anger, sympathy, and remorse, Spike said nothing. Words of comfort escaped his grasp. He rubbed his eyes, halting his tears.

“I guess,” Spike said slowly with a shaky voice, “We all want to remember the best of those we loved. We always want to love them, even when we’re not sure we should.”

The stallion gazed on, with blank eyes, never drawing his hoof from Spike’s grasp. When he realized how long he’d been holding Yellow’s hoof, Spike withdrew his hand, silently.

“Can I just ask for one favor?” Yellow said. “If my brothers are responsible for what happened to your friend, please don’t have them banished or executed. They need help getting rid of my dad’s brainwashing, real professional help. They’re probably more broken than I am.”

“If it was them, I’ll ask Twilight to give them some mercy. Thanks for everything”

Yellow’s tensed shoulders dipped, as he released a breath he had been holding all morning. He gave Spike a genuine smile, full of honesty. Spike wondered if this was the start of a new friendship, but then a proud scowl wormed onto Yellow’s face.

“Don’t go thinking this makes us buddies or anything,” Yellow scoffed. “I’m still gonna beat you tomorrow.”

Spike’s frills drooped for a second, a little disappointed, but then he shrugged. “I don’t expect any mercy, and I won’t give you any.”

“Good.” Yellow turned around, “Now get out. You’re interrupting my sleep.”

Spike turned around and took a few steps to the door, wondering how Yellow could move from distraught to friendly to distant so quickly. Perhaps Yellow became hostile whenever he felt threatened or worried that he betrayed weakness, but that stallion was beyond him. Without thinking, he turned back to Yellow.

“The first event tomorrow. It’s Arrow Tag.”

Yellow lifted his head. “What? There hasn’t been an Arrow Tag competition in decades.”

“I heard it from Lightning. He said that Blueblood apparently wants to send off Silver Shine with a bang, since this is his last time in the Games.’”

Yellow blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Even if that were true, why are you telling me?”

Spike opened his mouth but found no response. Why did he tell Yellow? He had nothing to gain from it and plenty to lose. Despite searching for an answer, he could only think of Yellow’s tearful confession and pained face.

“Just think of it as payment,” Said Spike with a shrug, “For being so helpful. And because I feel sorry for you.”

“Is that it?” Yellow’s skeptical frown dimmed. “Well, as long as we’re sharing stuff, you might want to know Honey Charm mastered invisibility.”

“Who’s Honey Charm?”

“Baltimare’s archer. Dark grey fur, doesn’t talk much, likes apple cider and flute playing, kinda has an emo-thing going on.”

“Oh, her. I thought her name was Dark Spectre.”

“That’s just a nickname her fans gave her. She doesn’t really answer to anything else. Don’t ask me why, she just likes the name. Guess she thinks it sounds cool."

"I seriously thought that was her name."

Yellow scoffed. "Some ponies have ridiculous names, but do you honestly think anyone would name their child ‘Dark Spectre?’ Come on.”

“Okay, well, what were you saying about Dark Spectre—I mean Honey Charm?”

“She’s mastered invisibility magic. That’s part of where she gets the name ‘Spectre.’ If there’s Arrow Tag, she’ll be out for the newbies like you.”

“Well, thanks for that. I’ll make sure to remember it.” With a nod of appreciation, he walked out the door, leaving Yellow alone in his thoughts. The stallion released a breath he'd been holding. He felt lighter, as though an iron spike had been taken out from his heart. It took him a few seconds before he noticed, with some perplexity, the smile on his face.

He pulled out another photo from his drawer, showing his younger self, smiling beside five other young dragons, all just a little bigger than Spike. Yellow stared at the first and only person he’d ever fallen in love with, the reason he kept going to Dragon Town those five years, and the reason his father called him a traitor: a short, white-scaled, male dragon. His name was Frost, and he had all but stolen Yellow’s heart. “Dad was right calling me a coward,” Yellow realized with some bitter irony as tears poured out of his eyes, “I never told Frost how I felt.”

Chapter 15 Let the Games Begin

The sun had already set when Lightning led Spike to the coliseum for training. As the other Crystal Empire ponies began their light workouts, Lightning set up his bow and arrow, humming a little tune.

“You’re awfully upbeat today,” Spike said with a smile.

“Why shouldn’t I be? I got married to the love of my life.” Lightning beamed. “I feel like a pegasus, just walking on air.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Spike with a twinge of jealousy. Lightning noticed the slight droop of Spike’s frills, and surmised the dragon wished he had the love of a certain lovely unicorn. He didn’t dare bring up the subject and intrude. Instead, he pulled a single arrow from a barrel of foam tipped arrows.

“I heard Twilight’s inviting King Thorax and Dragon Lord Ember as her guests of honor,” Lightning said. “That’ll tick Blueblood off, huh?”

“Probably,” said Spike. “But at least he can’t ban me or Ponyville from the competition. So anyways, what are you gonna teach me today?”

“I’ve been talking with Twilight about dragon physiology and unicorn magic,” he began, “I hoped to work out some tactics for us both.”

“And?”

“I won’t sugarcoat it Spike,” Lightning said, “These unicorn archers, especially Silver Shine and Dark Spectre, have magic skills that’ll make them tough to beat. They’re also incredibly talented with a bow. If you want to win, you’ll have to rely on your physical abilities.”

“What, like breathing fire?”

“No, please refrain from burning anyone,” Lightning gave a little chuckle. “You’ll need to use your strength, speed, wits, and,” Lightning nocked the arrow in his bow, “Your reflexes.”

“Okay, but how?”

“I’ll get to that. First, we need to talk about how the match works,” Lightning said, prompting Spike to pull out a notepad to take notes. His rapt attention amused Lightning. “Every archer gets a helmet and a magical quiver that can hold arrows no matter how fast you run. We each start with fifteen arrows, but can pick up any discarded ones we find. If you hit someone with an arrow, they get teleported out of the arena. Headshots and bowshots don’t count; you have to hit some other part of their body. There will also be sandbag barricades throughout the maze that you can use to hide behind. You get all that?”

After finishing a note, Spike looked up and nodded.

“Good. Now, the rules are simple. Basically, almost anything goes.”

“Anything?”

“Any tactic you can think of is fair game, so long as you don’t seriously injure anyone. Remember, it’s not just a battle of skill, but creativity, finding ways to outsmart your opponents while using the environment to your advantage.”

“Have you done Arrow Tag before?”

“I often practice it at Silver’s archery range. He likes to play against entire teams and he usually makes me fight him.”

“Have you ever beaten him?”

“Not even close,” Lightning said with a headshake.

Spike felt another knot in his stomach. “If you couldn’t beat him, what hope do I have?”

“Don’t talk like that,” Lightning said sternly. “If truly doubt yourself now, you may as well give up and go home.” Spike still looked uncertain. “He’s not unbeatable. One pony’s always come close to beating him.”

“Who?”

“Arrow Bolt. But that’s another story. Let’s get back to Arrow Tag. Technically, Arrow Tag is every pony for themselves, but cities will form alliances.”

“Like the four Trottingham archers?”

“Exactly. Chances are they’ll team up against me, since they know I’m a decent archer.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “If by ‘decent’ you mean freaking amazing and unmatched in every way, then yes.”

Lightning laughed. “Well, thanks. I appreciate that.” Spike’s praise left him a little embarrassed. “Anyways, if we both make it to the final match, we can take on Silver together. If I fall, you have to take on Silver. He doesn’t know much about you or your skills, so we have an element of surprise. Now, we need to work on some other skills. That way, at least one of us can catch him off guard and win.”

“Alright,” Spike said as finished scribbling one final note. “So what do we do?”

“Take fifty steps backwards,” Lightning said. Spike did what he said. “Further.” Spike took a few steps further. “Okay perfect. Now,” Lightning drew the bow string, “stand your ground, and …”

Twilight didn’t want to look smug, but she had to admit, Blueblood’s indignant expression was making it very difficult to hide her enjoyment of the current situation. In the middle of the night, Prince Blueblood requested her presence within his Baltimare office. He claimed it was a matter of urgent business. When she finally arrived however, she was immediately greeted with a repugnant scowl. Prince Blueblood swung around in his swivel chair with the most outrageously infuriated expression she’d ever seen. His brows were so narrowed they practically formed a perfect 90 degree angle. The Prince promptly shut the door behind them, before he lifted a newspaper, and pointed at an article headlined: “Princess Twilight Sparkle Invites Dragon Lord Ember and Changeling King Thorax to the Equestria Games.”

“Care to explain this?” He growled, grinding his teeth in a manner unbefitting a prince.

She paused a moment, savoring Blueblood’s outrage a bit more than the Princess of Friendship should. “Well, it looks like a newspaper.”

His eyes darkened, his lips curling into a deeper, unamused frown. “I thought Auntie taught you manners. When somepony asks you a question, you answer it. Now, I’ll ask again.” He jabbed at the article with his hoof once more, “Explain this right now!”

“Alright. Newspapers are a medium that helps everypony stay up to date on current events. They’re typically printed on thin paper made from a combination of recycled matter and wood pulp, with the text generally applied through the use of a machine called a printing press. Do you need me to explain anything else?”

“Do you think this is funny? That this is some kind of joke?”

“No, it’s a newspaper, I thought we already covered that.” She smiled innocently, which only made Blueblood’s actual blood start to boil. He had to take a moment compose himself, before he uttered some inaudible obscenity.

“We are currently undergoing a national crisis. Dragons attacked Fillydelphia a few weeks ago, some dragon-hating lunatics with the power to steal magic are running loose, and you decide to invite the Dragon Lord to the Games?!”

“Dragon Lord Ember is one of our key allies,” Twilight said calmly. “It would be an insult not to invite her or King Thorax.”

“Don’t play games with me, Sparkle,” He said, crumpling the newspaper into a wad. “You did this to make me look like a fool. Ponies are looking to me for safety and protection. How do you think it looks if they see me in a booth with a dragon and a changeling?”

“Well, I suppose ponies might see you as more open-minded and considerate. They might even think you’re brave enough to sit in the same booth as a dragon.”

“Well, I’m sorry but you are quite mistaken Princess. Now let me explain how this is going to go down.” Prince Blueblood puffed out his chest and leered down at her. “You’re going to rescind your invitations and apologize to me this instant.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. Princess Ember and King Thorax already accepted their invitations and are planning on bringing dozens of dragons and changelings.” Her gaze sharpened. “It would be quite awkward to publicly tell them they’re uninvited right when they get here. Imagine the political fiasco that would follow. How it could destabilize the peace we worked so long to achieve. That’s not keeping ponies safe.”

Prince Blueblood looked like he wanted to speak, but he couldn’t debate Twilight’s point. He took a moment to compose himself before giving an unnatural, calculating smile. “Very well then. You’re going to make a public statement saying you will not attend the Games. Or I’m afraid Ponyville simply won’t be allowed to compete.”

To his surprise, she didn’t become angry or scared like he expected. Instead, she simply gave a small chuckle.

“I thought you might say that. Just know that if you dare to threaten either Ponyville or me again, I’m afraid I’ll be forced to take drastic measures.”

“Threatening me? That’s a criminal offense!”

“Can you really call inviting one of Fluttershy’s friends to the Games a ‘criminal offense?’ That would seem quite extreme.”

He blinked, confused. “One of— What are you talking about?”

“I’ve invited Thorax and Ember,” Twilight said. “If you do anything to threaten Spike, you’ll force me to invite a guest you could never keep out or hope to control. Someone who I’m sure you’d like to keep far, far away from your precious Games: Discord.”

At that exact moment, a clamorous sound of thunder buckled the window, causing Prince Blueblood to flinch in surprise. To his knowledge, there wasn’t a single cloud in the night sky and the pegasai hadn’t planned a storm. This thunder only started when Twilight uttered Discord’s name. At this realization, Blueblood’s white fur somehow became paler, almost transparent with fear. Suddenly, the thunder sounded more like a cackling laugh. Then all at once, the laughing and the thunder disappeared, leaving a cold silence in the room.

Prince Blueblood glared at Twilight. “You wouldn’t. You can’t invite that monster!”

“You sure you want to call him a ‘monster?’ He is practically omniscient.”

Prince Blueblood’s eyes darted around the room. It looked empty, but he had no idea if Discord was listening right now. Just the thought was enough to unnerve him, but the thought of an invisible Discord standing next to him was terrifying.

“Now,” Twilight said, looking straight at Blueblood, “I’m sure you’d prefer Ember, Thorax, and me over the literal Spirit of Chaos. So let’s make an agreement. You don’t rig the Games tomorrow or do anything I don’t like. And I don’t invite Discord. Clear?”

He wanted to scream and rant at this insolent mare, but he knew better than to make enemies with a troublemaker like Discord. If his Games were to be perfect, he couldn’t afford such a monstrous catastrophe. Thus, he begrudgingly nodded.

“Great!” Twilight said with a smile. “Glad we could come to an understanding.” She gave an overexaggerated yawn. “Well, it’s past time to turn in, and judging by the red in your eyes you could do with some sleep yourself. Goodnight!”

She sauntered out, with a little swagger to her walk, leaving Prince Blueblood to sulk and fume. She won this round, but she knew there would be many more battles ahead. Still, she left feeling optimistic, helped by the sound of Blueblood pounding his table in frustration as she left the room.

“Wretched little brat!”

He would have to make some changes to his plans. While Spike’s loss was preferable, Prince Blueblood had to guarantee a breathtaking finale, and perhaps that drake could help him. Opening a desk drawer, he pulled out a stack of files, and opened it to a particular archer competing in the Games.

Name: Yellow Bolt

Father: Arrow Bolt, founder of the Creed, a well-established anti-dragon movement

Bio: Failed to qualify for the Games three times, due to PTSD. Extremely proficient archer, hampered by medical conditions of strenuous mental stress.

Relocated at age 15 to Baltimare after severe domestic abuse. Has been living with his cousin for ten years. Later, he returned to Fillydelphia for unknown reasons. Occasionally seen wandering Dragon Town at night.

A smile crossed his lips, realizing he had the makings of a truly remarkable matchup. “Equestria’s favorite Dragon versus The son of the Creed's founder. That could certainly make for a show,” Prince Blueblood thought, as he quickly shoved away the paper and pulled out the file on Silver Shine. “Only one match-up could top that: Equestria’s favorite Dragon versus an Ex-Crusader, a Creed Cofounder at that.” He felt oddly optimistic. Either Fillydelphia contender against Spike would make for an unforgettable experience, a match like the world had never seen. Add Lightning Star to the mix, and ponies would talk about this Game for centuries.

“I wonder,” he murmured to himself, “Can Discord really hear me say his name? He couldn’t, right?”

His office experienced an inexplicable downpour of chocolate rain.

Alone in the locker room, Spike sat on a bench, taking deep, calming breaths. The rest of his teammates were on the other side of the room, preparing themselves. It was a little hard to believe they were finally here at the Games, that they were only a few minutes from showing the world what they could do.

Yet, Spike still didn’t feel prepared, even after his late night training session with Lightning. They drilled for hours on techniques and strategy. Sure, it left him feeling more confident about dodging incoming arrows, but he struggled with one technique that Lightning insisted he would need to defeat Silver. Despite their attempts to perform the maneuver, neither of them could successfully execute it. Naturally, Lightning reassured him it would be something at least one of them could pull off in the heat of the moment, but that did little to ease Spike’s nerves.

Holding a notepad, he reviewed the notes he’d taken last night. Spike learned they made a mask and quiver especially for him after Twilight had what she called, “A little heart-to-heart with Blueblood.” Part of him wished he could have seen that exchange. Judging by the little skip he noticed in Twilight’s step, she must have enjoyed herself. After reviewing Lightning’s notes, he flipped the page to Twilight’s notes, simplified from her magic spell textbooks.

On Honey Charm’s invisibility:

Absolute invisibility is difficult to sustain for more than a minute. Honey Charm may have mastered the technique, but it’s bound to have a few flaws, as she would still have to cut corners. As long as the sun’s out, you can probably track down her shadow. There’s bound to be at least one body part she can’t consistently hide, like a strand of hair or her pupils. Otherwise, you’ll have to use your other senses to find her. If she can mask the sound of her hoofsteps, listen for something else: the sound of her breathing, grass crackling where she steps, etc. Just stay calm and wait for her to slip up.

On Silver’s teleportation:

He will have to conserve most of his magic for late in the match against you and Lightning. Don’t worry about him till then.

Teleportation has its limits. Even the best unicorn can’t cast dozens of consecutive teleportation without experiencing slight nausea. He’ll likely have a cool-down period where he’ll have to wait at least ten seconds before he can move again. Find cover, and exhaust him. Also, remember he has to make the conscious decision to teleport. If he panics or fails to react, he will be vulnerable. You could try surprising him. No matter how good he is, he’ll run out of magic eventually and he’ll need to conserve some to hold his bow, so he can’t waste it all on teleportation.

“Spike,” Dash’s voice interrupted his reading. He turned to see her coming over. “I need to talk with you, alone.”

He put down the notebook and followed her to a far corner of the room out of his teammates’ earshot.

“Listen,” she said. “No matter what happens out there today, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. And if it ever gets too hard or you don’t think you can keep going, I understand. None of us will judge you if you have to skip a few events.”

“I know,” he said. “But all of Equestria’s watching us. If I back down, I’ll prove Blueblood right. Now of all times, I can’t afford to give it anything less than my all. Especially when there are more archery events than anything else.”

“I know,” she sighed. “Backing down isn’t an option for any of us. Just don’t hurt yourself.”

Spike nodded. His glance fell for a moment. “Dash?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

He shook his head. “Never mind. It’s stupid.”

“You sure?” She sat down on a bench. “If you need to talk, I’m right here. I won’t laugh.”

“Well, it’s just…” his voice trailed off. “I’m still kinda scared.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Spike hesitated a moment, nervous he would embarrass Dash. But his fears won out. He had to ask his leader, his mentor, his friend for one last favor.

“Could I have a hug?”

He expected her to burst out laughing. But she didn’t waste a second wrapping her hooves around him.

In another team locker room, Yellow Bolt sat on a bench, inspecting his bow. His teammates didn’t particularly care for his company, especially when they learned that he met with Spike yesterday. Just as well, he wanted to be alone before the first match.

His hooves were trembling again. Even after his confession yesterday, sleep continued to elude him. The towers kept crumbling, and he kept falling down into an abyss, while his brothers and father watched with disappointment. The nightmares just didn’t stop, and he knew they probably never would. However, he also knew that he wasn’t alone anymore. He turned around and gazed directly into a floating pair of elfin dark pupils.

“Hello, Honey Charm,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t call me that!” She snapped, shedding her invisibility spell. “You know I hate that name. It sounds like some kind of cereal.”

“And what, would you prefer ‘Dark Spectre’? That needlessly edgy name?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not calling you that when we’re alone.”

She pouted, puffing out her lips in a childlike manner. This earned a chuckle from him, which soon caused her to smile as well.

“So what’re you doing here?” Yellow asked. “I’m assuming you didn’t get lost on the way to Baltimare’s locker room.”

Her face became somber. “I took a look at the crowd, and Princess Ember’s brought a lot of her dragons, some of them were the ones you used to hang out with … including Frost.”

His chest tightened at the name. He had to look away before she saw that he was about to cry—whether through tears of pain or tears of joy he couldn’t tell. He took a deep breath through his nostrils and exhaled shakily. Then, he was still.

“Did you talk to him?” He asked.

“No.”

At last, he looked back at her and nodded. “Thanks for telling me that he’s here.”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

Yellow didn’t answer.

She sighed. “You know, I think he’s still single.”

His face reddened, more from embarrassment than anger.

“Not so loud,” Yellow chided her. “Do you want all of Fillydelphia to know?”

“Sorry. But you know you can’t keep putting this off forever.”

He knew she was right. But he wasn’t sure he was ready. Yellow Bolt rolled off the bench and turned away. “Get back to your teammates before they start missing you.”

She stared at him a moment, before shaking her head. “Ever since you came to live with me when you were fifteen, I’ve felt like I had to protect you.” Her voice wavered, as she struggled with her own emotions. “Your dad was awful and I hated what he did to you. Everything I do is because I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

He wanted to defend his father, but found himself too tired to excuse him anymore. Honey Charm looked at him with a steeled, fiery gaze reserved only for her family. Slowly, a smile formed on his face. “What did I do to get a cousin like you?”

Hoofsteps came from around the lockers. Honey Charm vanished into the air, wordlessly and without a sound. Silver Shine came into view, his gaze locked onto Yellow. “It’s time,” he said before turning around. Yellow picked himself up, and headed out, passing his teammates on his way to the door. Now of all times, it occurred to him that he never told Honey that Spike knew about her abilities. He revealed her powers without even thinking about her, just because Spike told him there would be Arrow Tag. Suddenly, that warm feeling in his chest dissipated into dreadful self-loathing. Once again, without even thinking twice he had betrayed his own family.

The crowd roared with excitement, waving flags to support their respective towns. Cameras scattered across the arena were trained on the entrances, waiting for the first team to arrive, projecting the shadow hall on a massive monitor.

In the royal booth at the top of the coliseum, Prince Blueblood trained his eyes on the field below, as though doing so would force Twilight’s guests of honor to disappear. He sat in his throne, positioned in the center of the booth, left of his most important advisor. On the lowest booth row, delegates from Saddle Arabia and Yakyakistan chatted, eager to begin the Games. On his right, Twilight sat in her throne next to her honored guests: Dragon Lord Ember and King Thorax. Prince Blueblood seemed miffed that Twilight invited two nonponies to the royal booth. Still, he could not deny Dragon Lord Ember and King Thorax entrance; especially given they were Equestria’s key allies. Instead, he sat solemnly, contemplating on his own plans.

Thorax had a few bandages on his sides from his spying mission two days ago. Thankfully, he’d made it through the incident with minimal injuries. When Twilight invited him to the Games, Thorax hopped on the opportunity. Princess Ember was equally determined to show her support for Spike and, if necessary, scare Blueblood into treating him fairly. Besides, no Dragon Lord had ever been invited to the Equestria Games, so she was curious about what contests the ponies would perform. Truth be told, she had entertained notions of holding her own version of Equestria Games—the annual Dragon Games. She’d think up a better title later.

Gazing upon the crowd, Twilight marveled at the countless nonponies in the stands; griffons, donkeys, minotaurs, zebras, changelings, and even a few of Princess Ember’s dragons, waving banners emblazoned with Spike’s messages. Some banners read, “We Like Spike,” “Dragon Ace,” and “Make a Difference,” echoing Spike’s interview from two days ago. She estimated that this year there were more nonponies in the stands than any other year. All together, they made up over a third of the total audience.

“Quite the crowd,” Said Princess Ember. “I didn’t realize Spike was so popular.”

Thorax smiled. “You should see the Crystal Empire. They’re always calling him ‘Spike the Brave and Glorious.’”

“What a title,” she said with a nod of approval. “Did he beat up someone to get it?”

“Err, no. But he did save the entire Crystal Empire from an evil king who wanted to enslave the crystal ponies.”

“Oh. That’s good too.”

Trumpets began a fanfare tune, cutting through the roaring crowd. From the stadium’s leftmost entrance, the teams began filing out. First, came Manehatten’s team to a round of applause. When they took their place at the leftmost side of the stadium, Baltimare’s resident team followed. Their archer "Dark Spectre," composed and dignified, moved across the field with an unchanging, unexpressive stare. It was a stark contrast to her raucous behavior at Lightning and Fleetfoot’s wedding party.

Fillydelphia’s first team marched into the stadium, led by Silver Shine. Many ponies cheered for the Games veteran archer. A mare in the audience lifted a massive silver banner that read, “I Love my Dad.” As he gazed upon the smiling, cheering throng, a smile crossed his face. He bowed his head, as though to hide bittersweet tears. Then came Fillydelphia’s second team, with Sky Chaser leading the group. He took one look at the crowd and smiled with pride. At the end of the line, Yellow Bolt glanced at the dragons in the stands as though searching for a certain face.

Lightning Star led in the Crystal Empire team and Spitfire led in Cloudsdale. Vanhoover’s two teams entered the stadium, followed by Trottingham’s two teams. All together, Trottingham had four archers total, each wearing identical silver medallions emblazoned with an image of Sir Knight of Trottingham, each casting Lightning a hunter’s gaze. In response to their threatening expressions, he simply smiled, undaunted by their challenge. Four more teams came out and lined the field.

Then, at last, Rainbow Dash led in Ponyville’s team with Spike bringing up the rear. The moment the little dragon came out of the tunnel’s shadows, the spectators went wild. Ponies and nonponies alike began chanting “Make a Difference!” adopting Spike’s phrase from his interview days ago. The changelings became jubilant, launching little magical bursts like tiny fireworks from their horns. Ember’s dragons nearly drowned out the crowd in their proud roars. Nine teams looked at him with admiration and respect, while a camera zoomed in on Spike, displaying him on a massive TV screen for all to see. Twilight had a sinking suspicion he was secretly nervous about the Games and overwhelmed by the attention. Still, he conducted himself with so much dignity, keeping his head held high and a confident, proud smile on his face. As he walked alongside Bulk Biceps, Twilight couldn’t help smiling, seeing how much he grew from that little baby she hatched so many years ago.

As the Ponyville team took their position, the cheering gradually dwindled. Prince Blueblood rose from his throne. He walked past Twilight to a microphone stand and cleared his throat.

“Thank you all for coming to this year’s Equestria Games,” he began with a crowd-pleasing grin. While he gave his ceremonial speech, Twilight glanced across the arena, half-expecting an army of hooded ponies to flood the stadium. She hoped they would not be so bold, but if Yellow Bolt’s brothers were in charge, she had a feeling they would be just as reckless as him. She wasn’t surprised he had connections to the hate group. But she couldn’t understand why Spike insisted he was no longer with said group. He said it wasn’t his place to tell her how Yellow went through a lot of pain that drove him away. Though she didn’t trust Yellow Bolt, she trusted Spike. She could only hope he wasn’t being blinded by his feelings.

As Prince Blueblood reached the end of his speech, Twilight brought herself back to the present. “The royal guards are searching for Yellow’s brothers and their hate group, she reminded herself, “Just focus on the Games.”

“We welcome the sixteen teams to this year’s Equestria Games. So without further ado, let the Games begin!”

Spike watched as twelve unicorns cast a spell, raising five stone walls in the shape of a pentagon in the center of the field. They cast another spell. The stone walls trembled and groaned. A section of one wall slid back into the ground, opening a tall passageway into the maze. Three entrances emerged on another wall, and then the next, until there were fifteen entrances total. “Fifteen entrances for fifteen archers,” Spike realized. He glanced at the other archers. They all seemed perplexed by the strange maze, except Silver Shine, who knew this contest all too well, and “Dark Spectre,” whose solemn expression never changed. He caught Yellow Bolt glancing at him, but the stallion’s eyes shifted back to the maze. Lightning Star stared at the coliseum’s flickering TV screen in the stadium, beyond the maze. A pentagon image appeared on the TV, mirroring the maze, its five sides labeled A, B, C, D, and E; each entrance labeled 1, 2, and 3.

“Attention archers,” An announcer’s voice blared on the microphone. “We will enter your names in a random algorithm to determine where you shall enter the maze. When you have your letter and number, please head to your starting point.”

On the side labeled E, three slots above each entrance rapidly cycled through every archer’s name before coming to rest. Two of the names Spike didn’t recognize, but at E2 was the name: Silver Shine.

Spike quietly thanked his lucky stars not to be next to Silver, especially at the start of the match when he was at his best. Attention turned back to the screen, now selecting the participants for D. Eventually, it came to three names, including Yellow Bolt at D1. As the selection continued, Lightning Star found himself in A2 sandwiched between two Trottingham archers, who exchanged smug glances. “Dark Spectre” and two other unicorns that sided with Spike against Blueblood went to side C. That left Spike on B3, next to strong-Blueblood supporters.

He heard Fluttershy gulp nervously, obviously realizing both he and Lightning were matched against supporters of Blueblood. Rainbow Dash meanwhile, murmured something under her breath with a scowl. Applejack simply patted his shoulder and smiled.

“If you’re ever feeling scared, just look at your arm guard,” she said. “Because the truth is written there plain as day.”

Spike looked at the message Rarity stitched onto his arm guard: We Believe in You. A wave of calm surfaced over him. “Thanks. I won’t forget it.”

“You got this,” said Dash. “Even if the odds are against you, I know you can do it.”

“YEAH!” Exclaimed Bulk.

“Good luck,” Fluttershy said.

“Thanks,” Spike said. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know,” Dash smiled. “Now get out there and show them what you got.”

Spike jogged to his starting place to catch up with the other two ponies who’d already taken their spots. A unicorn handed him a unique cylindrical quiver to be looped around his back, and a mask fitted for his draconic proportions. It pinched his face a little too tightly, but the unicorn had already withdrawn before he could ask for an adjustment. Spike turned his gaze back to the maze. He could only see a wide hallway that extended into a room, full of protective barricades. When the bell rang, he would have to race for protection before the other two ponies could corner him in the passage.

He glanced at the other ponies, their horns shimmering with the first hints of a spell. He grimaced, realizing that if they were going to teleport into the maze, they’d pin him down before he’d even make it to cover. Spike looked down the hallway for something that could function as a shield, but he only saw tall stone walls.

That was all he needed.

The bell rang, and they all raced into the maze. The Manehatten and Trottingham participants teleported into the larger room and turned to the hallway, arrows drawn. Yet after a good ten seconds, Spike didn’t come. They peered farther down the hallway yet neither could spot him within the long passageway.

“Where’d he go?” Asked the Trottingham pony with his garbled voice. “I thought you said he couldn’t fly or use magic.”

“Just shut up and start looking,” the other snarled, “That lizard couldn’t have gotten far.” He took a step towards the closest barricade, when he heard feet pattering on top of the wall. As he turned around, a foam arrow struck his chest. The other competitor jerked his gaze to the top of the wall where the arrow had been shot, but found his eyes blinded by the sun. Another arrow raced towards him. He only just managed to teleport out of the arrow’s path, before another arrow came flying inches from his leg. Unable to fire back, he teleported away, running deeper into the maze, deciding to leave the dragon for later. For now, he had to meet up with the other Trottingham archers.

Spike stood on top of the maze wall, a little annoyed his target escaped. “Good thing climbing the walls isn’t against the rules,” he mused. The colossal TV screen showed a tally mark by his name. He let himself feel a moment of pride, until another tally appeared by Silver Shine and then Yellow Bolt.

Realizing he was too exposed on his perch, he began to climb down. He wondered how Lightning Star was doing, before scooping up his arrows. He placed one back in his quiver and nocked the other before heading into the maze after the Trottingham pony.

Nearby, the Dodge City and Tall Tale archers inched down the corridors, moving to the wall they saw Spike standing on top. They counted themselves among Spike’s supporters and hoped they might team up with the drake. However when they reached the spot, they couldn’t find any trace of him. The Tall Tale archer turned his gaze to the grass turf, where the sun cast long shadows from their bodies. Then he saw it: a third pony’s shadow on the ground, with no visible body, drawing an arrow.

“Look out!” His warning came too late, as an arrow hit Dodge City’s unicorn sending him out of the maze. The Tall Tale unicorn ducked behind the closest barrack, looking across the grass for any sign of that shadow.

He fired an arrow where he saw the shadow, only to hit the stone wall. His eyes darted, searching for the invisible archer, who moved without rustling a single grass blade. Sweat poured down his face, as his mind fell into a panic. He never stood a chance. He felt the arrow touch his back, but he never heard it coming.

As the Tall Tale unicorn vanished, Dark Spectre dropped her invisibility spell for a moment and glanced at the scoreboard. For now, she had the lead with two points. After retrieving her arrows, her head swiveled. She studied the grass, detecting the telltale footsteps of a baby dragon pressed on the grass. Her dark grey fur dimmed, losing its color until her whole body vanished into thin air. The last thing to turn invisible were her cold, black eyes behind her visor mask, locked onto Spike’s tracks. Once she stepped around the corridor, even her shadow disappeared.

Meanwhile, Lightning Star found himself at the third empty room with protective barricades, causing him to almost scowl. The Trottingham ponies were waiting to ambush him somewhere, he was certain of it. He wished they would stop playing games and just show up already.

They came from a nation of proud, accomplished archers, who saw dragons as wicked. Lightning guessed he would be their main target, given he was Spike’s mentor and one of the most dangerous archers to them. Unlike Silver Shine, Yellow Bolt, or Dark Spectre, the Crystal Empire was vocally supportive of Spike. If he fell, Spike would face Trottingham and the other dragon haters on his own. Two Trottingham archers started out right next to Lightning, while Spike was on the other side of the maze. It would be far easier for the other two Trottingham archers to meet up with their comrades. More than that, Lightning surmised they didn’t think much of Spike. He just seemed like a novelty, an amusing distraction they could take care of whenever they pleased. He, on the other hoof, was a champion archer. It only made sense to take him out first when they were all at their best, then deal with the small fry later. Lightning darted behind the nearest barricade, wary of his surroundings.

As he drew eight arrows from his saddle-quiver, he stepped out from the barricade, moving far away from the protective cover.

His left ear twitched at the sound he’d been searching for, the flash of a teleportation spell. He nocked and released his first arrow, just as the four ponies materialized around him, bows drawn. By the time the stallion on his left launched his first arrow, Lightning had already sent two arrows out, knocking the offending arrow out of the air, and then tagging the Trottingham pony. Three more arrows were halfway towards him, when Lightning’s arrows intercepted each incoming arrow. Within half a second, his follow-up arrows tagged the ponies to his right and behind him. The fourth archer clumsily ducked, just avoiding the bolt, but Lightning had already fired another arrow.

In some defensive instinct, the stallion swiped the air with his bow, knocking back the incoming bolt. But Lightning gave him no respite, sending three more after him within the second. The Trottingham archer teleported behind the nearest barricade before the arrows could touch him. He panted, sweat pouring down his face, while his heart hammered in his ears. He could barely comprehend what just happened. Lightning took all of his teammates down without any teleportation or shield magic. He didn’t need advanced spells or clever tactics; he was simply skilled enough in archery to keep up. Eyes wide, the Trottingham archer realized Lightning and his lizard student were far beyond him. His only option was retreat.

Lightning hid behind a barricade some meters where the other stallion teleported. He only had two arrows left, while his opponent only fired a shot arrow so far. Rushing in would be foolish. He would have to wait for his opponent to make a move.

He heard hoof-steps and peeked out from his barricade just in time to see the unicorn run down the nearest hallway. Lighting patiently waited, expecting some kind of trap. When none came however, he stepped out of his protection and picked up the arrows scattered across the room. Combining his arrows with his opponents’ arrows, his quiver now held nineteen arrows.

“If I had to guess,” he said to himself, “I’d say it’ll come down to me, Spike, Yellow Bolt, and Silver Shine. In that case, it would be a two-on-two.” He frowned. “Then again, that depends on whether Spike can beat Dark Spectre. If not, then it’ll be a three-on-one and game over for me.” He shook his head. “What am I saying? Of course Spike can beat her… Somehow. Anyways, I need to focus on myself. In the end, we’re all opponents.”

He paused a moment before sighing. “Fleetfoot was right. I do talk to myself a lot.” He shrugged facetiously, and gave an ironic chuckle, “Well, I can’t help it. I’m quite the odd company.”

The scoreboard put him in the lead with three points. Silver Shine was still at one. Lightning guessed he wouldn’t turn on the Trottingham pony he entered next to, seeing as they both disliked Spike. “That alliance is gonna cost Silver points,” Lightning mused. “But knowing him, he’s probably got a strategy worked out so he’ll win no matter what.” He gritted his teeth. With that, he headed down the corridor.

Silver walked down the hallway idly, as though he were enjoying a morning walk. He only wished his old friend Arrow Bolt was still alive to see him win. The thought almost made him feel wistful. Then, he heard a crashing sound just a few rooms ahead, accompanied by a familiar, sharp voice.

“Fine, you want to fight? I’ll give you a fight!”

Silver rushed forward to the next room, and saw the Trottingham archer standing atop the maze wall, firing arrows at Yellow Bolt, who deflected them all with a simple shield spell. The Trottingham archer had a frantic look in his eyes that told Silver right away he was desperate. The archer reached for an arrow, but found his quiver empty. In that moment, Yellow unleashed a shot that easily teleported him out of the maze.

Yellow Bolt tensed as he saw a grey figure moving in the corner of his eye. He drew an arrow, only to find Silver Shine scowling at him. Silver didn’t have an arrow drawn, so Yellow relaxed a little.

“What were you thinking?” Silver Shine said, putting Yellow back on edge. “He was on our side. He would’ve helped us against Lightning.”

“He attacked me,” said Yellow defensively. “I was just defending myself. Besides, he’s not even from Fillydelphia.”

Silver sighed. “Well, I suppose he was too panicked to be any real help. If you were defending yourself, I understand. But I need you to do everything I say, especially if you want Fillydelphia to get a gold medal.” Seeing Yellow deflated, Silver softened his expression. “Chin up. Everything’s still going as it should, all according to our plan.”

“How are you so confident? You’re only at one point. Lightning’s ahead of you and so am I,” Yellow said, pointing to the scoreboard. “How is that ‘according to plan?’”

“It’s called strategy, boy. Shut that mouth of yours and use your head for once.”

“Senile old relic,” Yellow grumbled under his breath. “How about I shut your mouth instead?”

“And get that temper of yours in check.” Silver said, without looking at Yellow’s scowling face. The camera showing them on the massive screen filtered to the other side of the maze, leaving the two archers alone and unmonitored. “It won’t do us any good if you go berserk in the final showdown.”

“If you don’t want me to be angry, then stop insulting me!” Yellow turned red, practically steaming gas from his nose.

“You see, that’s your problem. The moment anypony says anything that even mildly offends you, you get hissy,” Silver said. “You’re never calm. If you were, you’d see the big picture. We stand a better chance against Lightning Star together; you, me, and Dark Spectre.”

“Wait a minute.” Yellow’s eyes narrowed. “You think she’ll join us?”

“Why wouldn’t she? She wants to win as much as we do. Besides,” Silver paused. He glanced at Yellow. “She is your cousin.”

Yellow stiffened, his eyes wide with surprise. After a moment of dumbfounded silence, his scowl tightened and let out a sigh, annoyed by Silver’s intrusions into his personal life. “I’m not even gonna ask how you figured that out. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring it up. Ever. I don’t need royal guards breathing down her neck too.”

“Of course.” Silver gave a faint smirk, “I’ve kept more secrets than you’ll ever know, boy. You learn a lot if you listen and observe.” He turned his attention back to the scoreboard. “With this information, you’ll know when to act. Then, you’re unbeatable.”

Yellow shivered a moment. Silver’s talk reminded him too much of his father’s discomforting obsession with tactics and spying. “Creepy old weirdo.” Yellow turned his attention to picking up the stray arrows across the room and placing them in his quiver. “She’s my actually third cousin twice removed. We barely knew each other growing up, so don’t expect her to be all chummy.”

Silver eyed Yellow. For a moment, Yellow wondered if Silver knew how he truly grew up with Honey Charm after his father disowned him. She was his closest friend for years, until he came back to Fillydelphia hoping to find Frost once again. By then, the white-scaled dragon left Dragon Town. If Silver knew any of this, any of Yellow’s intricate history, he didn’t give any visible indication. That was all the more unnerving.

“Well, ‘chummy’ or not, she’s wise enough to realize she can’t beat Lightning on her own. The moment this match started, it was never a battle against towns. It was a battle between those who side with Ponyville and those who don’t.”

Yellow realized the two archers he tagged earlier were both pro-Spike. When they came after him together, he just assumed they were from the same town. He couldn’t remember their team, but he knew they were on Spike’s side. Did they attack him solely because he represented Fillydelphia?

“Now do you see?” Silver said. “When the time comes, Dark Spectre will be on our side.”

As Silver took a few steps away, he noticed Yellow was not following. The normally brash stallion stared at the scoreboard, lost in his thoughts. Silver snorted and rolled his eyes. “You coming? Sometime soon?”

Yellow didn’t respond. Instead, he kept staring at the board.

“Yellow Bolt!” Silver snapped him from his daydreams. “Let’s go.”

“Yeah, sure.” He said absentmindedly.

“Something bothering you?”

Yellow slowly nodded. “I have to ask,” he said. “Why do you assume she can beat Spike?”

A half-smile crossed his face, skeptical of Yellow’s apparent misgiving. “She has an invisibility spell. Of course she’ll beat him.”

Yellow wasn’t surprised Silver managed to find out that secret. “But is that really enough? I mean, what if Spike has some trick up his sleeve?”

Silver scoffed. “No one knows about her invisibility magic, except us and Baltimare.”

“Right.” Yellow Bolt’s eyes shifted a brief moment, breaking contact.

“Yellow,” Silver said with a menacing shadow in his eyes. “Did you tell him about Dark Spectre’s power?”

“You know Dark Spectre’s not her real name, right?” Yellow said, hoping to change the subject. Silver’s horn flared with blue aura, crackling the air.

“I asked you a question.” Silver said, taking a single threatening step towards Yellow. “Did you tell him about her powers?”

Mustering his courage, he looked directly at Silver. “He told me that the first match would be Arrow Tag. It only seemed fair to tell him something in return.”

Silver Shine’s angered expression did not change. Sweat trickled down Yellow’s neck as the veteran stared him down.

“Where do your loyalties lie, Yellow?” Said Silver. “With Fillydelphia and your cousin? Or him?”

“You’re calling me disloyal?!” He exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me that there’d be Arrow Tag in this competition?”

The blue aura around his horn dissipated, and Silver’s scowl lightened. Emboldened, Yellow pushed on.

“I’m assuming you knew that Prince Blueblood was doing you a favor by having lots of archery matches,” Yellow said. “So if you knew, why didn’t you tell me so I could prepare too?”

Silver slowly shook his head, his eyes closed. “Tut-tut-tut. Listen to yourself making baseless accusations.” Silver opened his eyes and glared. “Can you prove your little theory?”

Yellow had to acknowledge that he was making this accusation without evidence. In any case, he and Silver weren’t on the same Fillydelphia team. The elder didn’t have any reason to tell Yellow, seeing as they were both technically opponents.

Silver snorted. “Now, if you’re done grasping straws. I need to know if you’re with me or not?”

Yellow’s shoulders sagged. “I’m not dumb enough to be against you,”

“Good,” Silver said, “There may be some hope for you yet.” He pointed to Yellow’s quiver. “Hand me half of the arrows you just picked up. We’ll need every shot we can get.”

Yellow scowled a moment, as though he didn’t see why he should surrender what he’d won. But the moment passed, and he handed over the arrows without a word. Silver placed the arrows in his quiver, glad that Yellow was bowing to his years of experience. He reflected for a moment how little Yellow Bolt resembled his father or any of his brothers. They were stoic, careful, loyal to their town, and talented. Compared to them, Yellow seemed like emotional, semi-egotistical bumbling wreck. Silver turned away to hide his disappointment, and headed down the maze hallway, letting Yellow Bolt catch up. Silver wished Arrow Bolt was by his side, not his disappointment of a son.

“Are we gonna go help Honey—I mean Dark Spectre?”

“No. We need to save all our magic for Lightning and the lizard.”

“Spike.”

“What?”

“His name is Spike, not lizard.”

“Fine. We’ll need to save all our magic for Lightning and Spike.”

“I thought you wanted this to become a three-on-one. Not a two-on-two.”

“It would be preferable. But she’s on the other side of the maze. We’d waste too much magic teleporting over there. Besides, even if she loses, my plan still works. I just have to make some adjustments.”

Spike turned around with his bow drawn, expecting to see Honey Charm’s black eyes glaring back. However, there was no one, at least that he could see. He glanced at the ground. No unusual shadows. Not knowing where she was hiding made him feel uncomfortable. But knowing she could be anywhere without him seeing was nerve-wracking and he hated that uncertainty.

His frilled ears couldn’t catch anything unusual outside of the crowd’s occasional cheer or hushed silence. The loudest sound right now was his shallow breathing. The only shadows he could see were his own stretching behind him, the few cast by the clouds and the bent grass beneath his feet. He jumped at a sound, only to realize it was the crowd whistling. Realizing he would wear out his arms, he let his bowstring slink back to rest. Spike reminded himself to remain patient, and let her come to him. He reasoned she couldn’t be nearby, or she should’ve taken him down by now.

“For now,” he said to himself. “I better find some cover.”

He kept moving down the hallway, unaware of the black eyes peering around the corner. As he turned down a passage to his right, a figure ghosted between the shadows of the clouds after him.

He came to a room and meandered over to a white sandbag barricade, quietly sitting down and taking stock of the situation. Nearly ten minutes passed since the Games started, and his head felt pinched, clenched by the protective mask. At first it was a mild inconvenience, but now it was really getting on his nerves. Putting down his bow, his hand fumbled with the strap on the back of his head, hoping to loosen the mask just a bit, but one wrong tug caused the mask to slip off completely. With an annoyed groan, he picked up the helmet. As he started adjusting the strap, he noticed something reflected in the visor. It looked two shadowy dots. He only realized what those dots truly were when he saw the pupils moving.

Spike leapt behind the barricade just as an arrow struck where he stood a second ago. His back pressed against the wall, he reached for an arrow, only to realize his bow was still on the ground, exposed to the archer’s volleys. He silently berated himself for dropping his weapon, just because of some mild discomfort.

He still had his mask, but not enough time to put it back on. Hopefully, she wouldn’t hit his face, but Spike had his misgivings. By now, Honey Charm could be anywhere in the room, even right behind him. He looked across the room for her shadow, but the entire ground was covered in the shadow of a cloud. She really could be anywhere.

He managed to duck an arrow that flew over his head. He rolled to the left of the barrack, just as another arrow hit his last position. He peeked out, but an arrow nearly grazed his ear, forcing him back behind the barrack. If he was going to get his bow back, he was going to need some crazy plan.

In an insane moment of inspiration, he grabbed the edges of the barricade. Using all his strength from pulling back the bowstring countless times, he ripped the barricade from its foundation. Slowly, he pushed it forward, inching towards his fallen bow. Behind its protection, she couldn’t hit him from her position.

Honey Charm was left shocked as Spike pushed the barrier forward until he could pick up his bow, almost forgetting to maintain her invisibility spell, until Spike’s serpentine eyes turned on her. He had already fired an arrow at her, when she darted away and vanished.

He darted back across the room, scooping up his helmet before diving behind another barricade. He doubted she would give him a chance to reattach it, but he didn’t feel comfortable without it.

“Hey, wait, timeout?” He said, “Can I have a second to put on my helmet back on, Honey Charm?”

“Who told you my name?” She snapped, revealing her position. Instinctively, Spike dropped his helmet and instinctively fired at the sound, only for his arrow to hit nothing. Worried that he broke the potential truce, he decided to keep talking.

“Sorry! Sorry! I know I said truce, but shooting was just instinctive. I didn’t mean to, so could I have a minute to—?” She responded with an arrow.

Spike swung his helmet by the strap and managed to knock the arrow to the ground. In another insane moment of inspiration, he tossed his helmet directly where the arrow came. It missed but the incoming projectile startled her enough to interrupt her invisibility spell. As she staggered, he drew and fired an arrow in one swift motion. She tilted her body ever so slightly, allowing the arrow to fly past her. But Spike already sent three more her way, forcing her to make a split-second teleport a few feet away. Another arrow flew inches from her visor, but she bolted behind a barricade. Her grey fur vanished from sight once more.

Cloud shadows still covered the room, hiding Honey Charm’s shadow. Somewhere in the stadium, voices called Spike’s name, making noise that drowned out other nearby sounds. She was everywhere and nowhere at once, impossible to pin down.

“I can’t believe she’s this sneaky,” Spike thought. “A few days ago she was singing karaoke with Pinkie and drinking apple cider by the barrel. Seriously, she drank so much she could be classified as a liquid. And now I can’t even find her.” He ran through his options to track her: sight wasn’t working and he couldn’t hear her. That left touch, taste, and scent. He didn’t like his chances of stumbling into her and he certainly wasn’t about to stick out his tongue and accidentally lick her rump. So he had to use scent. Though, what would she even smell like? Black mane dye? Black mascara? Did girls even have a smell? He lived among girls all his life and even he couldn’t give a simple answer. “Rarity smells like perfume, which Honey Charm probably doesn’t wear. Pinkie smells like chocolate cake.” He sniffed the air. “No dice. Fluttershy smells sorta like a petting zoo. That leaves—.”

Suddenly, his eyes widened, as he realized the most painfully obvious way to find her. He sniffed the air, hoping to find a particular scent. His nostrils flared, seeking a unique floral scent that he knew well from his time in Ponyville. He was starting to worry the scent had long faded. Suddenly, the juicy, tangy sensation flooded his nostrils. He followed his nose, turned around, and found her black eyes a few meters behind him.

A small, unnerving grin spread across his face. Now, she was startled, bolting across the room for cover. He lifted his nose to the air and within two seconds turned his gaze to the corner to her new hiding place.

“I know where you are.”

She ran behind a sandbag barrier but Spike drew an arrow. The mare also drew one and peeked over the barricade. As she unleashed the arrow, Spike deftly shifted his torso to the right, letting the bolt fly past him. Unlike her clumsy dodge, he seemed to avoid the arrow before it even escaped her bow. She was already darting to another barricade across the room when Spike spoke.

“Hey Honey Charm, your invisibility is great,” Spike said. “But you still smell like apple cider.”

The arrow hit her side, delicately, but enough to make her gasp before vanishing from the maze. Spike heard the crowd cheer even louder, impressed by his strategy. Ember’s roar surged above the crowd, along with half a dozen dragons. With the room clear, he took the time to grab his helmet and strap it back on.

“Thank you, Applejack,” he said as he secured the helmet. All those years at Sweet Apple Acres meant he could easily pick out the scent of apple cider. And Honey Charm drank a barrel’s worth at Lightning’s engagement party. Good thing that scent tended to linger on the breath.

He felt a rush of adrenaline from his victory coupled with disbelief that he actually beat an invisible archer. The scoreboard flickered, showing him at two points. Only four archers were left: him, Lightning Star, Yellow Bolt, and Silver Shine. After all that just took place, he already wanted to fall to his rump and take a nap.

“Yo, Spike.”

He saw Lightning Star enter from the hallway behind him. He didn’t have an arrow drawn, but Spike knew he could draw and fire in half a second. Still, he was relieved to run into his mentor before Silver Shine or Yellow Bolt.

“So,” Spike said with a smile, “We both made it.”

“Yeah, we did. And I saw you beat Dark Spectre. Good job, Spike. I’m not entirely sure I could beat her.”

“Thanks,” Spike said, though he knew Lightning was just being modest. “I got lucky.”

“If you say so,” Lightning said. “We’re gonna need some of that luck for the last match against Silver and Yellow.”

“Does that mean we’re going after them together?”

“Unless you wanted to go it alone?” Lightning said with a humorous twinkle in his eyes.

“No thank you.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said. “I couldn’t take both of them on my own either.”

“So, until we take them both down, truce?”

“Truce.” Lightning glanced around the room and began picking up the arrows from Spike and Dark Spectre’s match. Once he gathered all the fallen arrows, he handed them to Spike. “I’ve got a few extra arrows already. You might as well take all of these.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Spike took the arrows and slid them into his quiver. All together, he now had nineteen arrows. Lightning gestured to the nearest hallway with his chin, beckoning Spike. They entered the corridor, and walked side by side.

“Now you understand if we beat them both, we have to fight each other.” Lightning said with a more serious tone. “Don’t go getting too attached to this alliance.”

In spite of himself, Spike found a smile on his face.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Only you would be kind enough to warn me that you’ll have to fight me. I almost think you want me to win.”

Lightning rolled his eyes. “Just saying. When the time comes, don’t hesitate and don’t hold back. Cause I can’t.”

“Good.” Spike said to Lightning’s surprise. “Beating you wouldn’t mean anything if you weren’t giving it your all.”

A grin crossed Lightning’s face. At that moment, the microphone blared. They froze, glancing above the maze walls as Prince Blueblood’s tapped his microphone. “Testing, is this thing still on? Good. Attention to the four remaining archers. We will now be breaking down some of the inner walls so you can have your final match immediately. Please stand still for a moment.”

Lightning pulled an arrow from his quiver. “Looks like we’re gonna have that two on two sooner than we thought.”

The corridors around them trembled, sinking back into the soil, opening the broad arena. The walls continued trembling, unsteadily shaking as they retracted. Spike and Lightning were now in a room several meters in length. Both had an arrow drawn, half-expecting an ambush. Spike turned around, searching for any trace of Silver or Yellow. He honestly had no idea where they were in the maze, even as the walls kept falling. Lightning kept his gaze forward and his arrow drawn. Rumbling walls kept slipping down, as the maze turned into a gladiator’s ring. They still couldn’t see their opponents anywhere, even as more walls broke down. Spike eyed a few barricades suspiciously.

An arrow flew. Lightning’s hindleg kicked Spike out of the way, before an arrow could hit him in the back. Spike staggered and turned around in time to see two more arrows coming towards Lightning. The archer leapt out of the way.

Before Spike could figure out where they came from, there was a flash of light in the corner of his left eye. Spike ducked an incoming bolt. He turned and fired, but Silver teleported behind him with another arrow drawn. He turned quickly. Silver’s arrow bounced off his bow shaft. He already vanished by the time Spike fired.

“Spike, stop! Don’t waste your arrows!”

He glanced around, finally noticing Silver had retrieved every arrow he fired. The silver furred stallion materialized on top a wall, behind the blazing sun. Through the bright light, Spike saw more than a dozen arrows in Silver’s quiver, and the archer didn’t waste a single shot. Every arrow he sent at Spike, plus the two arrows Spike fired, were all back in Silver’s quiver. He drew a single arrow and aimed at Lightning. By the time it left his bow, he was already on the move, vanishing from the wall.

Lightning fired an arrow and knocked the incoming arrow out of the air. By then, Silver was already following up with two more arrows. Lightning jumped out of the way. Five more arrows coming from every direction rained down on Spike. He ducked, managing to avoid them. Silver blurred across the maze walls, striking then disappearing. Neither Spike nor Lightning could track him. All they could do was dodge, scramble, and pray they escaped.

Twilight’s teleportation notes seemed like naïve dribble. He could barely recall any of it now. He couldn’t believe he ever thought he had a chance or that knowing anything about teleportation could possibly equip him for this fight. He only remembered Lightning’s advice: Basically anything goes. They needed cover now. His eyes turned to the rows of barricades stretching across the room. That’s when he got his newest idea.

“Lightning, cover me!” Spike said, racing to the barricades. Lightning would’ve said, “How do you expect me to do that?” if he wasn’t dodging for his life. He drew an arrow and shot Silver’s out of midair before it could hit Spike.

With one hand, the dragon gripped the underside of a barricade and ripped it from its foundation. He pushed the barricade next to another, touching them at the corners.

“Whatever you’re doing, hurry up!” Lightning exclaimed as he shot down another arrow.

Spike moved another barricade to the other side, creating a barricade fort. Lightning wasn’t sure whether this plan was brilliant or foolish. He bounded across the field, sheltering behind a barricade with Spike. They bunched close together, making the most of their limited space. With a moment of respite, they could breathe once again. Spike drew an arrow and aimed up, expecting Silver to appear above them with an overhead shot. Lightning turned his bow to the wall behind him in case Silver showed up there.

“Aw mane,” Spike gasped. “He doesn’t even need Yellow to kick our butts.”

Lightning was too busy panting to respond. He shook his head with a self-effacing smile, “Yeah, he’s making mefeel like an old-timer. On the bright side, we lasted a minute. That’s longer than most ponies do.”

Spike took a deep breath, sucking cool air into his pounding chest. “How many times did he teleport?”

“Hay if I knew.”

“Well, sooner or later he’ll have to rest and then—.”

“We have to deal with Yellow Bolt. As long as he’s around, we can’t take out Silver.” Lightning glanced over his shoulder, but Silver was nowhere in sight. Looking away from Spike, he went through their options. He looked at the scoreboard. He and Yellow Bolt were tied. Spike had two points and Silver only had one point. Spike had seventeen arrows. He had ten. Silver would’ve picked up the nine arrows Lightning fired. Yellow and Silver probably had more than fifteen arrows left. At last he turned back to Spike. “Yellow’s got to be hiding around here somewhere. Go find him. I’ll hold off Silver.”

“But you can’t beat him,” Spike said incredulously.

“That’s what ponies said before I broke his Ice Archery record.” Lightning grinned. “Records are made to be broken.”

“But you said it yourself.”

“I can at least hold him off until you find Yellow Bolt. Now move!”

Spike still had his doubts, but Lightning seemed confident. He decided to push his doubts aside until the match ended. He turned around and surveyed the field. Walls were still coming down in a shaky, unnerving descent. Some of the walls still standing looked unsteady, but Spike turned his focus to finding Yellow Bolt. As two walls by the rightmost corner came down, he caught a glimpse of a brown figure darting behind a barricade by the corner of the now square room. An unmistakable mask peeked over the distant barricade.

“I see him. I’m going in.”

Spike pulled two arrows from his quiver and held them in his draw hand. He then jogged off, leaving Lightning to face Silver.

Spike could hear the crowd chanting his name, Lightning’s name, and Silver’s name with equal fervor. Spurred by his fans, Spike rounded the corner and aimed. Yellow Bolt was already gone.

Spike turned around to see Yellow charging, levitating three arrows and his drawn bow. Spike fired both his arrows, but Yellow knocked the arrows out by firing his own arrows. He then raced in close where Spike couldn’t fire, jabbing with his three arrows like knives. Taken by surprise, Spike had no time to jump away. He managed to twist his body so that the arrows hit his helmet. Their shafts had hairline cracks, but Yellow kept swiping and jabbing. Unable to draw an arrow, Spike had to retreat, avoiding those whirring arrows. He kept getting forced back. At this rate, he’d be pushed into the wall. He had to create some space. Spike yanked off his helmet and swung by the straps. Crack! The three arrows snapped in half. He swung his helmet in a wild arc, forcing a startled Yellow back. He then swung the helmet at Yellow, who instinctively raised his hooves in defense. In that moment, Spike grabbed an arrow from his quiver and took aim.

Yellow already had an arrow drawn. Spike could hardly believe Yellow was this skilled. He seemed to spend most of his time napping and occasionally having emotional outbursts. But his rate of drawing could have been on par with Silver, or even Lightning. The only thing holding him back was his shaky grasp. They stood there, waiting to see who would move first. Yellow Bolt’s legs betrayed the slightest tremors.

“You’re pretty good,” said Spike. “You might even be as good as Lightning.”

“Don’t distract me,” Yellow said with disgust. “And put your helmet back on.”

“Now who’s trying distract?” Spike raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously, do want to lose an eye?”

“Are we gonna stand here all day or are we gonna do this?”

Yellow almost smirked. “And Silver calls me reckless.

Spike and Yellow released their arrows at once. As they collided in midair, Spike and Yellow drew another arrow and fired again. And again, they collided in midair, but Yellow and Spike fired again. Then, they came to a ceasefire.

“We’re not gonna get anywhere like this,” Yellow said.

“You could always give up,” Spike shrugged.

They continued shooting, shooting, shooting, but their arrows kept colliding. Spike pulled two arrows and fired them within half a second of each other. Yellow had to cast a hasty shield spell. They would never know why the arrow reacted so harshly to the shield spell. Even Twilight would look back at the first match, unable to explain what in Yellow’s spell went so catastrophically wrong. The moment Spike’s arrow grazed Yellow’s shield, it ricocheted with violent force straight through the maze wall, into the open arena. BAM! The foam tipped arrow made a small crater in the arena wall.

The maze wall, now punctured, crumbled brick by brick onto the archers. Spike covered his head with his arms and moved to safe distance, when he turned and saw Yellow staring at the crumbling building, frozen.

“Yellow! Get out of there!” Spike pleaded to no avail. Yellow was stuck between fight and flight, unable to even move. His expression spoke of a phantom terror.

“My nightmare,” Yellow whispered, “it’s come true. I let it all collapse.”

He thought about shooting the petrified Yellow and sending him outside of the arena, but dismissed that notion. He knew that wouldn’t be fair. Spike rushed back in and grabbed Yellow by the tail. He gave a hard yank, causing Yellow to yelp indignantly.

He pushed Yellow out of the way of the debris, and was about to rush out, when he found with horror that he couldn’t move his right foot. He glanced down. His foot caught beneath the rubble, felt jabs of pain every time he tried to yank it out. He was stuck. Spike covered his head to protect himself from the sprinkling rubble. When it stopped, he tried wiggling out his foot. That action caused a sharp stone to scrape his heel, forcing him to stop moving. He dropped his bow and was about to dig, when he heard an arrow clunking against the sides of a quiver. He lifted his gaze, slowly.

Yellow Bolt had his bow trained directly on the dragon. Spike felt his mouth go dry. His entire body felt heavy, pained by his inescapable loss. They stared at each other, uncertain what to do. Spike wanted to close his eyes, and wait for it to all be over, but he forced himself to face his loss with pride. Seconds passed like hours, but Yellow didn’t shoot.

In the coliseum, spectators gawked at the monitor in complete silence. Not a single creature made a sound, as they watched and waited for the end. Twilight felt her insides twisting into a knot, tortured by the suspense. Ponyville watched on, holding back their tears, as Spike faced a devastating loss. No one dared break the silence.

Spike gazed at the stallion, half wishing he would just end it. But slowly, Yellow Bolt’s body began to quiver. His bow, levitated in a magic spell, trembled as though held by an unsteady hand. Dimly, Yellow knew his teammates and his town were watching and waiting for him to seize victory. Yellow could hear his father screaming, “He’s weak! Take him down! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!” Yellow couldn’t understand his own hesitation. “Why am I hesitating? Shoot him already. You’ll win. It’s what you always wanted.” He’d envisaged this perfect moment ever since he could dream as a child, ever since Crimson Bolt came home with his gold medals. The opportunity was so ripe for the taking. But his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Behind his mask, his face grew pale, almost febrile. Spike couldn’t see how Yellow Bolt’s eyes throbbed with burning tears, his nose dribbling silvery mucus. He closed his eyes, but could still see Spike’s unflinching, fiery expression, braver than anything he’d ever seen. The eyes of the same dragon who put himself in this position just to save his opponent. More importantly, he could feel somewhere in the vast audience Frost watching him, waiting to see what kind of pony he’d become. Suddenly, he was powerless.

His bow fell to the ground. His body heaved with heavy pants that rocked his entire frame. His eyes opened and looked directly at the dragon. Yellow dragged himself over to Spike. Then, he magically grabbed the rocks pinning down Spike’s foot and pried them apart.

Dumbfounded, Spike stood there confused, until Yellow grumbled through snot and tears, “Come on! Move it or lose it!”

Needing no further instruction, Spike slipped his foot out. He fell to his rump and massaged his aching ankle.

“You alright?’

He looked up at the stallion, who managed to compose himself, snorting back his dribble. Spike nodded breathlessly. At that gesture, Yellow slumped down onto the ground next to Spike and gazed at the ground.

“Why didn’t you shoot me?”

Yellow said nothing. For a moment, Spike wasn’t sure Yellow heard him. He couldn’t see Yellow’s eyes behind his visor or any sign that the stallion heard him speak.

“Yellow?”

Still nothing. He was practically in another world. He blinked, as though he just woke up from a lucid dream.

“I don’t want to win like that.”

“Like what?” Said Spike.

Silence. Yellow took a deep breath rose to his hooves. He picked up his bow and grabbed Spike’s. He dropped Spike’s bow directly into his hands. Spike felt something else pressed against his foot. He looked down to find Yellow’s magic aura pushing his helmet that he threw earlier into his lap.

“I want to win because I earned it. Because I’m good enough. Not because I shot down a helpless, unarmed opponent.”

He no longer shook or trembled; in fact, his eyes were now steely with determination.

“Well, thanks,” Said Spike. Yellow gave a dim nod without looking at him.

After strapping on his helmet, he rose to his feet and staggered a moment, limping a bit for a few feet, but otherwise he was fine. He noticed Yellow’s eyes narrowing at him.

“Wipe that stupid grin off your face,” grumbled Yellow. It took Spike a moment to even realize he had even been smiling. “I only gave you the helmet so I could go all out against you.”

“Thanks for your concern,” Spike said widening his smile.

Yellow Bolt opened his mouth to respond, when he noticed a familiar figure atop the left wall. Spike turned around following Yellow’s gaze, just as a bowstring snapped. Spike watched an arrow fly past his periphery vision into Yellow Bolt. The arrow hit the stallion in the chest and sent him out of the arena. Spike jumped to his left, before the next arrow could hit him.

Neither Spike nor Yellow even noticed when Silver tagged Lightning in the middle of their own fight. Neither of them saw Silver draw his arrow. Neither of them realized he fired two arrows.

Now, Spike had no time to comprehend Silver’s actions. Silver didn’t give him that chance. He already rematerialized a few feet away with an arrow drawn, but Spike was quicker. As Silver’s arrow left the bow, he’d already fired two arrows. One arrow knocked the other out of the air, but Silver vanished before the other could strike. However, he magically grabbed all three arrows and added them to his quiver.

Silver teleported behind the barricade fort. Spike had a moment to retrieve three arrows before he darted behind the closest barricade. He drew a single arrow, while holding the other two in his draw hand. But Silver didn’t immediately reappear. Spike guessed he realized he couldn’t beat Spike at close range where he could retaliate. The momentary delay allowed Spike to look around for Lightning, only for him to notice the scoreboard. Silver now had three points, meaning he beat Lightning. And then he got ahead by shooting Yellow Bolt, when he wasn’t even expecting it. Spike felt his jaw tighten, his mouth went dry as furious embers licked the back of his throat.

“You attacked your own teammate!” Spike snarled.

“We were never on the same team,” Silver replied from behind the barricade. “Besides, we’d have to fight each other eventually. I just saved myself the trouble.”

“You could’ve given him a fair chance! He wanted to fight me one-on-one.”

“And let you take him out so you could tie with me? No thanks. Besides,” Silver vanished in a flash of light. “This way I have you all to myself.”

Smoke flared from Spike’s nostrils. Any trace of apprehension had melted away into boiling rage. However, he took a moment to calm himself down, knowing a cool head would keep him in the game. His stomach plummeted as he realized that he only had six arrows: three in his draw hand and the other three in his quiver. He thought about picking up all the arrows from his skirmish with Yellow Bolt. However, he quickly found they were gone, likely taken by Silver. The scary thing was Spike couldn’t even tell when Silver snatched those arrows.

He was running out of shots and options. Sooner or later, he’d have to try that technique Lightning tried to teach him last night. Keeping his back against the barricade, he peeked out over the edge. A teleportation like a camera flash sparked behind him. He turned around and fired, but Silver already vanished. Although he managed to retrieve the arrow he shot, Spike didn’t even realize the elder had snatched three arrows straight from his own quiver.

To his left an arrow came flying down, narrowly missing Spike. By the time he turned his aim where the arrow came from, Silver was on the opposite side of the wall. Arrows rained down, forcing Spike behind the nearest barricade. Silver simply teleported to another vantage point and kept peppering Spike. Silver could fire at least ten arrows from every vantage point, retrieve the arrows in an instant, and continue his merciless barrage. The drake didn’t even have the time to pick up an arrow or retaliate.

“I can’t keep this up,” Spike realized. “I’ve got to get in close and end this now. When he comes to pick up his arrows, that’ll be my chance.” As he leapt out of the way of Silver’s latest barrage, he twisted around in midair and fired right above the scattered arrows. As his arrow left the bow, Silver materialized in the midst of the fallen arrows to retrieve them.

When Spike’s arrow came flying, he had no time to teleport. His eyes widened as the arrow came straight towards him. Time seemed to slow down, as the arrow whizzed through the air. The audience held its breath and stared. Ponyville’s team was on the verge of cheers.

The arrow was inches from Silver’s chest, before it stopped; a blue aura preventing it from moving another inch. A sudden sense of dread swelled in Spike. Somehow, against all probability, Silver caught his arrow. The elder glanced at Spike with a wry expression. He magically pulled all the arrows on the ground into his quiver. Then his lips curled into a smile. It was a smug smile full of condescension but with a slight wrinkle of respect.

“I’ll admit,” he said, “That’s the closest anyone’s ever come to hitting me since Arrow Bolt. Even Lightning couldn’t manage that. You’re talented, boy, real talented. But as you can see,” he flaunted the arrow held in his magical grip, “This was never a battle of equals.”

“You’re right.” Spike balled his fist.

Silver blinked, a frown forming over his face. “So you understand?”

Spike tightened his grip on his bow. “I understand that this isn’t a battle of equals,” Spike snarled. “I’d never stab my friend in the back like you. And I don’t need cheap magic tricks to keep up with you. I have people behind me, riding their hopes and dreams on me. I can’t afford to lose to someone like you.”

Silver felt the air change around Spike. There seemed to be faint emerald embers in his narrowed eyes. He wasn’t afraid. He seemed taller, almost a different person. Not for the last or even the first time, he felt a reluctant, grudging respect for the lizard—no, for Spike. Looking at him filled Silver with a rush of excitement. He thought he lost this thrill of a worthy arrow tag opponent ever since Arrow Bolt retired from the Games almost ten years ago. Now, looking at Spike’s expression, Silver couldn’t help wondering if he was staring at the lingering spirit of his late friend. Suddenly, he didn’t care about winning; all he wanted was to savor this fiery sensation, to cherish his final Arrow Tag match.

“You say we’re not equals,” Silver said as he placed the arrow into his quiver. “Prove it,” Silver challenged through his teeth. Then he vanished.

Spike turned directly around and fired into the open space behind him, just as Silver reappeared. Silver had a second to teleport away, while Spike raced over and retrieved his arrow before leaping behind a barricade, avoiding Silver’s follow up attack, two arrows in his hand. As Silver’s next barrage came down, Spike raced forward. Silver appeared on his left, fired, then his right, and fired. Spike flicked his bow, knocking out the left arrow then the right. He managed to pick them both up, as three more arrows came flying his way. He bowed his head, letting the arrows bounce harmlessly off his helmet. Silver didn’t give him a chance to collect any more arrows. Four more arrows raced towards Spike from every direction. He leapt into the air, avoiding the arrows. Before Silver could follow up, he fired two arrows back, forcing Silver to teleport away. He then darted behind another barricade.

Spike leaned against the barrier for support, breathing heavily from all the quick movement. He was tiring, but so was Silver. The stallion’s teleportations were slowing down, becoming more infrequent. Sooner or later, he’d run out of stamina. Spike guessed Lightning must have worn him down quite a bit already, being too humble to imagine hewas the one wearing down Silver. If Silver ran out of magic, then the game was practically over, assuming he didn’t go into cardiac arrest first. However, Spike was slowing too, with his body aching more than any of his previous training sessions. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up. As he listened for the telltale sign of teleportation, he felt a dull ache return to his foot. He wasn’t sure he could run anymore, meaning he had to end this fight soon.

The flash of light, followed by an incoming bolt. Spike had already drawn an arrow and fired, knocking down the other arrow. Silver teleported forward to grab the arrows, giving Spike more than enough time to draw and fire. However, Silver was able to grab the arrows and teleport, allowing the arrow to hit the nearby wall, before he again, grabbed the arrow and disappeared. Spike turned at the distant wall to see Silver’s figure casting a long shadow across the field.

He reached for an arrow, only to find his quiver empty, just as Silver drew an arrow and fired. Spike didn’t move or try to dodge. Even though he heard spectators screaming for him to move, he remained in place. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Twilight was watching him from high above, fretting over him every second. Rainbow Dash was probably staring at the screen, wondering why he wouldn’t move. Lightning Star knew what Spike had to do, but even he wasn’t sure if Spike could pull it off. Everypony stared, knowing if they blinked they would miss it all. Across Equestria, everyone was looking at him, certain it was game over, that he’d lost. It seemed like a dream. He didn’t question or think heavily on the arrow soaring through murky stiff water or his hand pushing through the boggy dream instinctively with clear purpose.

Twilight felt a scream caught in her throat, cut short by a gasp. Princess Ember and King Thorax didn’t say a word, they just looked on with wide expressions. Everypony regardless of their town fell silent and motionless. Ponyville’s team was speechless. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure if she was watching reality or a dream. How could this happen? Lightning Star knew that he trained Spike for this moment, but even he couldn’t believe what he was watching. Yellow Bolt didn’t say anything. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised. Not one bit.

Silver’s bow cluttered onto the stone wall, dropped from his magical grip. His jaw dropped disbelievingly, the fire in his heart came to a freezing halt. Down below, Spike hadn’t tried to dodge the arrow. He didn’t shift even an inch from his spot. The dragon had faced the arrow straight on. While events moved so slowly that Silver could hear his own heart bounding in his chest, Spike’s purple claws had reached out for the incoming arrow shaft … and caught it. As time came crashing down, every action on the field seemed to regain its speed. Spike drew the arrow and fired it back. Silver barely registered the incoming arrow. He couldn’t even lift his bow. His magic was all but depleted. Yet, he surrendered a faint, begrudging smile as the arrow smacked his chest.

“Not bad.”

A horn blared through the arena, signaling the end. Cheers swelled through the arena. Now, they were chanting a single name. “Spike, Spike, Spike!” Despite his heavy pants and exhaustion, he raised his bow over his head in a victory pose. The crowd ate it up, cheering all the louder. He almost slumped over, but somehow found the will to keep standing. Even as the maze walls came down, he held his pose. Almost every creature in that stadium rose from his or her seat to applaud him. Those few who remained sitting looking rueful couldn’t damper his spirit. Not anymore.

A referee grabbed a microphone, calling for everypony’s silence.

“Manehatten comes in second place with two points. First place is a four-way tie between Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, and Fillydelphia teams A and B.”

“That’s rubbish!” A voice in the audience exclaimed.

“Just give the win to Spike!”

“He was the only one who didn’t get hit. He deserves the win!”

Some ponies began to boo the referee but he simply increased the volume of his microphone. “This contest was never a last man standing, it was a point-based competition. Therefore, the points determine the final score.”

“How much is Blueblood paying you?” That comment reddened the referee’s face.

“We said this was a point-based contest at the beginning of the match,” the referee reminded them. “We aren’t doing this to disadvantage anypony.”

Gradually, the protests simmered down. All four champions came together in the center of the field. While Prince Blueblood prepared another speech, Lightning Star grinned at Spike. “I hope you realize how incredible this is. Nopony’s ever beaten Silver in Arrow Tag, much less tied with him.”

At the mention of the name, Spike felt sour. He couldn’t forgive that jerk for attacking Yellow Bolt. Still, he kept a smile on his face. He glanced at the Fillydelphia archers. To his surprise, Yellow Bolt didn’t seem angry at Silver, instead simply standing beside Silver with a numb expression. He looked like he wanted to express his sadness but had to swallow it, along with his pride. Yellow’s teammates probably weren’t too pleased with him for squandering the perfect chance to take out Spike and win. Sky Chaser and a few others from the Silver’s Fillydelphia team wouldn’t cheer for Yellow or even look at him.

“Try not to think about it,” Lightning said, following Spike’s gaze.

“But it’s not fair, how could he—?”

“Spike,” Lightning’s voice became more forceful and stern. “Remember, all of Equestria’s watching you. Don’t make a scene. Prince Blueblood would jump at any chance to kick you out.”

Spike swallowed his frustrations bitterly. Lightning was right of course, but that still didn’t make it fair. Prince Blueblood finished his little speech, sending the four archers back to their respective teams. He cast a single glance at Yellow Bolt, wishing he could speak to him. The stallion stopped. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to turn around and look back at Spike. But the moment passed. He kept walking away.

Still holding his head high, Spike headed back to his teammates, managing a grin.

“Spike, you were amazing!” Applejack exclaimed.

“YEAH!” Bulk pumped his hoof.

Fluttershy gave a little, “Yay.” Coming from her that was an audience roaring. He was amazed he didn’t just collapse to the ground then and there. Rainbow Dash patted his back.

“Take a rest, squirt. You earned it.”

“Thanks. I think I could sleep for a month,” he said.

“You won’t have that much time.” Dash turned back to the arena. “That was only the first event.”

Chapter 16 Where Did We Go Wrong?

Sky Chaser brushed past Yellow Bolt, not even giving him the courtesy of a passing glance, as he and two other Fillydelphia pegasi made their way to the starting line for the tag team races. Yellow Bolt didn’t bother looking at his teammates. He knew they were frustrated with him for not shooting Spike when he had the chance. If he had, their team would be ahead right now. His kindness—his hesitation cost them an outright win. Seeing little point in trying to converse with his teammates, he opted to head back to the locker room. It felt like a walk of shame. Alone in the lockers, he slumped down against the cold metal surface of a locker and bowed his head.

Yellow knew nopony would blame Silver for shooting him. If Silver hadn’t, Spike could have beaten him and claimed total victory. And anyways, nopony really thought he could beat Spike; he was just a nobody, a trembling, snot-nosed mess, and he knew it. Even he didn’t think he could actually beat the dragon archer, so he couldn’t even blame Silver for shooting him. He only wondered why he never saw it coming.

As he stewed in his self-loathing, his hoof brushed against a pamphlet left on the floor. He would have ignored it if it weren’t for the title: Sir Knight of Trottingham is Returning. One of the Trottingham ponies must have been passing it around to Fillydelphia. He levitated the pamphlet into his hooves and inspected the cover. The mere name Sir Knight brought back an old memory.

Fillydelphia, fifteen years ago.

“Wounded from his battle with the invaders, Sir Knight felt his life fading. No medicine could save him now. His fate was set with the rising sun. With the help of his squire Singleshot, the noble knight climbed to the highest tower to gaze over Trottingham. The island, once prosperous and peaceful, had fallen to civil war. Every pony, griffon, and dragon fought senselessly. The violence and impurity within their hearts had turned the kingdom to ruins. Even the sky turned red from all the innocent blood spilt.”

Wide-eyed, Yellow Bolt saw the scene unfold as his father read the book. He shivered beneath the covers, frightened and yet thrilled by the bedtime story. Arrow Bolt glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. He realized he spoiled his son by reading an extra thirty minutes.

“Come on, dad, finish the story,” Yellow said imploringly. “Please.”

Arrow looked at his seven-year-old boy, so full of life. It was a sight that warmed his own heart. A smile worked its way through his bearded face. Try as he might, he couldn’t say no to that unassuming, sweet face that begged for more. Granted, Arrow was a little worried about his son staying awake all night, but no matter. The story must go on. With a brief chuckle, the brownish-grey stallion found his place in the book and kept reading.

“Wordlessly, Sir Knight took Singleshot’s bow and drew an arrow, aiming at the rising sun. As the arrow flew from his bow, the string broke. The bolt flew through the air, splitting apart the red sky. When the arrow hit the sun, a brilliant beam of light burst forth, and sprinkled across the war-torn land. For that brief moment, all fighting ceased. When the golden shower diminished, rays of sunlight raced to Sir Knight’s face. ‘My time has come,’ he said to his loyal squire, ‘This world grows tired of me. Keep the spark of hope alive. For in time, I will return to this realm to undo the harm caused by those who would upset the peace. Perhaps not in this lifetime, but in another. Perhaps not in this body, but in another. Should the world need me, I will return with a mighty army to set things right.’ Noble Singleshot watched as his leader stepped into the light, his entire body blazing like a star. ‘Now, I return to the light.’ And with that his body evaporated with the dawn, as a new sun shone upon the world. The end.”

“The end?” Yellow asked incredulously with tears in his eyes. “That can’t be the end! Sir Knight can’t die! He can’t.”

“I know it seems sad, but look at it this way. He had to make way for the new age.” Closing the book, Arrow smiled. “And remember Sir Knight didn’t die. He simply faded into the light. When the world’s in peril again, he will return to save us all.”

“Really?”

“Of course. He couldn’t let any wicked dragons harm us. Wouldn’t be much of a knight then, would he?”

“I hope I get to see him come back.”

“You will,” Arrow said. “I know it. Now, it’s time for bed.”

After turning off the lights, Arrow Bolt turned to walk away. He picked up his cloak and draped it over his shoulders. As he left the room, he pulled a small metal object from his coat pocket, a necklace of some kind, and latched it around his neck. Yellow couldn’t tell what it was, but in the glow of the hallway, Yellow could see his father smile. However, it wasn’t his usual smile. This smile didn’t reach the corner of his lips. It looked toothy, sinister, a monstrous leer. The dark green fur across his face rose as if it were being static shocked, his bright purple mane billowed in the windless corridor. For a moment, Yellow thought his father’s eyes brimming with a red aura.

“Dad?”

His father turned back. His eyes were the same bright violet they had always been. He had a face like a baby elephant; serene, unassuming. His smile was no longer sinister, but charming and patient. Completely normal.

“Do you need another glass of water?” Asked Arrow.

“No. I just wanted…” Yellow wanted to ask what his father put around his neck, but decided it didn’t concern him. So he put on his best innocent expression and said, “I just wanted to say that I love you.”

Arrow’s smile widened, causing his eyes to squint. “I love you too, Yellow. Good night.”

Of the few happy memories Yellow had left of his father, that was his favorite. It was five years before his father discovered his secret. Back when their family seemed to be normal. Yellow stared at the Sir Knight pamphlet for a moment. As he stared at it, his face gradually etched into a harsh frown, his teeth clenching down hard as bitter memories replaced the joyful ones of the past. He quickly crumpled the pamphlet into a wad, before chucking it across the room. “There are no heroes,” he realized. “They just die and fade away.” The paper ball flew into the corner and hit an invisible guest.

He realized that he was no longer alone. His shoulders stiffened. Turning his gaze to the edge of the locker room, he found two dark pupils staring at him. As Honey Charm’s invisibility spell faded, Yellow realized her face bore a scowl as she marched towards him.

“Silver said,” she paused, reluctant to say it. “He said you told Spike about my invisibility.”

Yellow didn’t say anything, which confirmed her suspicions.

Her eyes darkened. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” He muttered. “Yesterday, I told him about my brothers, my dad.” Yellow Bolt swallowed an aching lump in his throat. “He promised that if they were the ones who attacked his friend, he’d spare their lives. He felt sorry for me. He even told me the first match today was Arrow Tag. I guess I thought it was only fair.”

She was silent for a moment. Somehow, her calm demeanor hurt Yellow even more than any scowling or harsh words.

“I didn’t think he’d get so far or that he’d start out right next to you. I thought—,” he stopped speaking altogether and shook his head. “I don’t have an excuse. I’m sorry I failed Fillydelphia. I should’ve shot him when I had the chance.”

“Yellow, nopony blames you for not shooting him when you had the chance. If anything, they think it was a good show of sportsmanship.”

“Sure they do,” he softly snorted. “You saw how my own teammates wouldn’t even look at me, how Silver shot me. You call that a show of praise?”

She said nothing, seeing little point in consoling someone who lacked any sense of hope in himself. “Did you tell him anything else about me?”

“Besides your real name? No.” He shook his head. “You’re angry at me?”

She paused, hiding her swirling mess of emotions behind a calm facade.

“A bit disappointed, I suppose. But I could never hate you. I just…” She sighed. “I need some time to think. And I believe you do too.”

She faded back into air, leaving Yellow alone once again. The back of his head smashed into the metal locker. The clang echoed in the empty room. At the moment, he wasn’t sure who he hated the most; Spike, Fillydelphia, Silver Shine, his father, or himself.

Baltimare’s Hospital:

Thunder Star and Starlight did their best to watch the broadcast of the Games without cheering too loudly and bothering other patients. They had done a fine job keeping silent in their beds as the nurses and doctors worked around them. But the moment Spike caught the arrow and won, they both burst out clapping their hooves, which led to them being rather sternly hushed by the nurses.

To the dismay of many nurses, the door to the patient room slammed opened, waking anyone who was sleeping. A blue unicorn with a purple cape and hat marched into the room, casting a little firework from the tip of her horn with each step.

“Do not worry, dear Starlight,” she declared. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!”

Starlight wanted to cover her face but Trixie was already heading towards her, brushing past every doctor and nurse.

“Trixie came as soon as she heard that her best friend was in the hospital.”

“How thoughtful.” Starlight tried to smile even as her face burned with embarrassment. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Trixie knows this, but she simply had to come.” She placed a hoof over her chest. “Out of the goodness of her heart.”

Miffed that Trixie’s loud voice was drowning out the TV, Thunder Star turned sharply. “Well, can The Great and Powerful Trixie stop referring to herself in the third person?”

Trixie noticed the filly sitting in the bed adjacent to Starlight, who had just spoken up about Trixie’s use of pronouns. She didn’t look impressed by Trixie’s boasting.

“And who,” Trixie said with a hint of distaste, “Is this?”

Starlight gestured to the filly, “Trixie, Thunder Star. Thunder Star, Trixie.”

“The same Trixie who tried to take over Ponyville?” Thunder Star said, raising an eyebrow.

Trixie’s face flushed with embarrassment. This was not the kind of attention she wanted. “I’ll have you know that I was under the influence of an evil amulet at the time. I had no control over myself. And also that was ages ago. Everyone’s already forgiven me for that.”

“Hah.” Thunder Star grinned.

“And what about that makes you laugh?”

“Made you say ‘I,’” Thunder Star said before turning her attention back to the TV. “Great and Powerful indeed.”

Trixie opened her mouth to retort, but realized the filly had her beaten, quickly pulling her hat down to cover her bright red face. Even Starlight was smirking at the filly’s victory.

“Trixie saved you all from the Changeling Invasion,” she pouted. “Show some respect.”

“Do you mind?” The patient to their right growled. “Some of us are trying to sleep!”

Trixie let out a little humph, before turning her head.

“Listen, I’m glad you came to see me, really,” Said Starlight. “But next time please try not to be so … loud.”

“But if Trixie isn’t loud, how can the world know that the Great and Powerful Trixie has come to see her best friend?”

Trixie was oblivious of the nurses and bedridden patients scowling at her and her “best friend.” Starlight felt embarrassed, but there was no reasoning with Trixie. Thankfully, she had gotten through most of her boasting. And despite her quirks, Starlight was truly happy that Trixie cared so much about her, if anything it was simply part of what made Trixie who she was and Starlight didn’t want her to change.

“Trixie apologizes for her tardiness, Starlight.” Her voice took on a more serious tone. For all her flashiness, Trixie truly cared for her friend. Starlight sighed. Trixie could be irritating, but at least she was an irritating friend.

“It’s fine. Thanks for coming anyways.”

“Trixie would’ve come sooner if it weren’t for the train breakdown and a stupid mob of ponies handing out Sir Knight pamphlets. They crowded the station for hours.”

Thunder Star, who had been silently watching the Games while keeping an ear on the conversation, scoffed at the mention of Sir Knight.

“Ponies who hand out that stuff are crazy,” she said without turning from the TV. “They always think Sir Knight’s gonna come back and give them their perfect world. Heck, five years ago, they thought Silver Shine was Sir Knight’s reincarnation or something. Then, they thought my brother was. They’ll think anypony skilled with a bow is the next Sir Knight. It’s just a load of hooey, some fairytale ponies tell their kids, not a real story.”

Taken aback by Thunder’s abrasive assertion, Starlight blinked at the usually soft-spoken pony. “I take it you don’t like Sir Knight.”

She shook her head. “Ponies used to harass my brother at work. They thought he was Sir Knight’s great-great-great-great-great grandson or something. They caused so much trouble that Silver had to ban them from visiting the archery range. Lightning was afraid he was going to lose his job and he had to file for a restraining order. It was all one big nightmare.”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been distressing.”

“Yeah. It was. But what were they expecting? Every Crystal pony loves Spike. Did they think Lightning was any exception? He’d never want to hurt a dragon. Never.”

They were all silent for a moment. Starlight wanted to defend her childhood story, but realized it was a source of stress for many ponies.

“I always loved the story as a kid,” Starlight said. “I’m sorry someponies ruined it for you.”

Thunder Star finally turned to Starlight. “Sorry I was harsh“It’s fine. Really. I guess you’ve just given me a lot to think about. I can see why you didn’t like the story after going through all that.”

“To be honest, I didn’t like the story all that much before then either. It makes dragons look evil.”

“Trixie always assumed the portrayal of dragons as beasts was meant to hyper-satirize the stereotype that all dragons are senseless monsters by making the dragons into unrealistic, over exaggerated caricatures, thus exposing the flaws of such beliefs. This can be supported by examining the omitted chapters where Sir Knight meets a noble, dragon, Sir Scale, who sacrifices himself to stop the pony barbarians and night demons. Sir Knight comes in with assumptions that the dragon will be a savage, initially overlooking Sir Scale’s strong moral code that underlies all of his actions, and in fact, shows more steadfast determination and chivalry than Sir Knight himself. Every other dragon becomes an unrealistic monster solely because they never receive the opportunity to be anything more.”

They both glanced at her with wide eyes, disbelieving something so intelligent could come from Trixie, though they obviously would never say that aloud. Trixie noticed their stares and shrugged.

“What? Trixie did literary analysis in school. Didn’t you?”

Before either of them could respond, the TV made a little trumpet sound and transitioned to a title card: Analysis with End Zone. The title card then zoomed away, to show a mare in a reporting studio with an elderly stallion.

“Hello,” she said, “I’m End Zone, here with an analysis and predictions segment. Joining me today is Instant Replay. Thanks for joining me today Now, Instant Replay you’ve been analyzing and making largely accurate predictions of the Equestria Games outcomes for over forty years. You’ve recently published your autobiography Instant Replay: Four Decades of Equestria Games.”

“Ugh,” Thunder Star grumbled, as the mare reporter produced a copy of the book and began explaining where an Equestria Games fan could buy it. “I hate these little bits. They’re just interrupting the Games for some silly commentary, only this time it’s shameless cross-promotion too.”

“Well, we could change the channel,” Starlight suggested. “Maybe the Games are on another one.”

“I already asked. This is the only channel covering the Games available to the hospital.”

Starlight was about to question the hospital’s limited options, when she heard End Zone mention Spike.

“So, everypony’s talking about Ponyville’s archer, Spike the dragon,” Said End Zone. “Some think he’ll be the best archer this year while others think he can’t hope to match up to Silver and Lightning. After his strong showing in the Arrow Tag match, what are your thoughts on him?”

Starlight beamed as a clip in the background showed highlights of the match: Spike smelling out Dark Spectre, rescuing Yellow Bolt from the collapsing wall, and finally catching Silver’s arrow from midair. To her, the clips definitively answered the newscaster’s question.

“Well,” Instant Replay said with a faint smile. “While some would say his Arrow Tag performance was impressive, I think it proves that he doesn’t have what it takes to win the Equestria Games outright.”

Starlight and Thunder Star frowned, perplexed.

“What’s he talking about?” Starlight asked with a scowl. “Didn’t he see Spike in action? There shouldn’t be any doubt he’ll win.”

Even the newscaster on TV seemed confused by Instant Replay’s less-than approving statement. Her smile faltered, dimming for a moment. “How so?”

“For all his luck, he only managed to tie with four other competitors.” The stallion shrugged. “He had several opportunities where he could’ve taken first place easily. If he took down both Manehatten and Trottingham’s archers at the start of the match, that would have given him a four point lead in the end, but he botched the chance. He also had a chance to shoot Fillydelphia’s Team B archer when he froze. That would’ve sent him outside the maze away from the falling rocks. Instead he decided to play hero by risking himself.”

“But most ponies believe it was a great show of sportsmanship.”

“I’m not saying it wasn’t noble. In fact, it was a very fine display of sportsmanship and I would applaud him for it,” he said. “But it was needlessly reckless. He risked the safety of both Fillydelphia’s archer and himself. Had that archer been less merciful, Spike most certainly would’ve lost then. In my professional opinion, Spike, while talented, is simply too naïve and inexperienced to really win the Equestria Games.”

Starlight folded her hooves across her chest, defensive and unconvinced.

“Understandable, but he was able to beat Silver Shine in Arrow Tag, a feat that has never been accomplished up to this point and he did that in spite of his reckless actions,” End Zone said with some irritation.

“Actually, another Fillydelphia archer by the name of Arrow Bolt beat him a few times.”

“But never in an official Equestria Games match. You don’t think it’s incredible that Spike won?”

“I don’t deny that. Certainly, he is skilled and has good intentions. Overall, he himself is an admirable individual and I wish we had more competitors—no—more people like him.” Instant Replay sighed. “I understand his appeal; he’s a young newcomer who ponies admire and respect, who backs up his talent with excellent moral character. But I have to judge him without emotional bias. His talent is impressive and his character more so. But in my experience, those good intentions don’t always play well into competitive sports.”

“What about his victory against Dark Spectre?”

“His victory against Dark Spectre was absolutely spectacular. In all my years, I’ve certainly never seen anyone sniff out their invisible competition,” Instant Replay said as he let out a chuckle. “But, he made the novice mistake of taking off his helmet. That kind casual disregard for safety would cost most archers their eye. He was extremely lucky Dark Spectre didn’t shoot him the second opportunity arose. Sooner or later, luck has to run out. Furthermore, it’s my theory that he knew about Dark Spectre’s invisibility magic, which explains why he was so on edge during the match. If this is true, then he managed to scrape by because he knew what to expect.”

End Zone blinked, her eyes narrowing with skepticism. “What makes you assume that he knew that in advance?”

“Simple really. Lightning Star is his mentor, and I imagine he keeps a close tab on his competitors, as most professional athletes do.” As Instant Replay spoke, the monitor behind him showed Lightning and Spike meeting up in the maze, agreeing to take on Silver together. Then it showed both of them in action working together against Silver’s barrage. “Lightning isn’t a fool. He knew that he’d need Spike to have any chance of beating Silver Shine, so he’d help him get to the final match by preparing him.”

Thunder Star rolled her eyes. “Sure, that’s the reason my brother wanted to help Spike. For himself. You certainly can tell he’s the most selfish pony out there.” The bedridden filly’s voice was dripping with so much sarcasm she was practically choking on it.

Starlight was also growing tired of this know-it-all talking down Spike. The pink unicorn asked her bedridden companion, “Are you sure there aren’t any other news stations focusing on the Games?”

“Yeah.” Thunder sighed. “Believe me, I am.”

“But everypony’s saying he’s the most talented archer we’ve seen in years,” End Zone spoke, her voice straining as she was clearly getting more agitated. “A lot of them will point to his victory against Silver to back up this point.” The monitor behind them once again faded, showing clips of Spike holding his own against Silver. Impressive as it was, the old stallion just smiled, with frankly unimpressed half-lidded eyes.

“I’m glad you mentioned Silver. If Spike knew Dark Spectre’s power, then it’s not a stretch to imagine he also knew about Silver’s abilities. After all, his skill in teleportation is well documented. In my opinion, Spike’s victories would have been impossible if he didn’t have prior knowledge about their abilities. And keep in mind; Lightning Star had already worn down Silver before he went after Spike. So it’s not like Spike was really fighting Silver at his best. In fact, if he faced Silver one-on-one before Lightning, I’m certain he would’ve lost.”

“Then what do you predict for him in the rest of the Games?”

“Personally, I think he’ll be lucky to place first in any other event. Maybe he’ll place first in two or four matches in the first half, but beyond that,” Instant Replay paused, taking a moment to roll his shoulders in a half-apologetic gesture. With the unspoken apology out of the way, he said, “I believe Silver Shine will lead his team to victory.”

The newscaster forehead crinkled in a scowl. “Because Silver is willing to do what Spike isn’t?” Obviously, End Zone did not approve of Silver shooting Yellow when his back was turned, a sentiment shared by many in the hospital.

“Yes,” the stallion said with a frown, picking up the mare’s distaste. “But also because he’s more experienced and strategic. Take the Arrow Tag match. Silver clearly played the long game, making sure he had three points and that Spike got only two. That way, even if Spike tagged him, he could only manage a tie. Either way, Silver's team would’ve walked away with a gold medal.” He let his words sink in, and then he continued. “Spike showed he can think on the spot, but that doesn’t matter if Silver already has a plan to win the match in the end. It’s short-term, on the spot bursts of inspiration and luck versus carefully thought out plans that stretch the entire length of the Games. That’s why for all his skills, Spike can’t beat Silver in the long run.”

“Why do you say that?” Asked End Zone. “Surely you can’t simply base your decision on those factors alone?”

“He’s already made the mistake of overexerting himself in the first event. Neither Spike nor Lightning considered conserving their energy for the later matches. They felt a need to achieve a symbolic victory by beating Silver at his own game. But a single symbolic victory won’t matter if they exhaust themselves. And quite frankly, he’s just too softhearted, lacking the will to do what many would see as a necessary evil to achieve victory.”

“Could he be right?” Starlight found herself wondering despite herself. “Much as I hate to admit it, he’s making a lot of sense, but…” She silently scolded herself. “Try to give Spike some credit. He defies some old coot’s prediction.” The elder was already talking once more.

“Plenty of young archers have demonstrated promise only to fall flat in the long run. A single victory hardly predicts more victories. If Rainbow Dash wanted to make some kind of statement by letting a baby dragon compete, she certainly has. That is that Ponyville has no standards.” After a second of silence, he burst out into laughter. The further uneasy silence caused him to abruptly stop laughing and assume a serious tone. “Joking, of course. I’m sure Rainbow Dash is a wonderful mare. The point is I think she may have let her personal feelings influence her decision.”

“Right,” the newscaster glanced at the camera, wondering when they’d cut back to the Games.

“All that being said,” Instant Replay said with a hint of appreciation, “I’ve never analyzed a dragon archer before. His unique physiology could get him enough wins to defy my expectations. And he has the backing of most of Equestria; that could all go a long way. Otherwise, I think he’ll have better luck next year. Perhaps then Spike could come out a champion, after getting more experience.”

“Well, thanks for your time. Anyways, let’s get back to the Games.”

“Finally,” Said Thunder with a sigh of relief. “Anymore of that jerk and I’d go crazy.”

Starlight wanted to agree but she couldn’t stop thinking about his argument. In many ways, he was right. Spike was kind. She’d always seen that at as good thing, but now combined with his inexperience, it seemed like a double-edged sword. Yet, for now, all she could do was hope that Spike would learn quickly and prevail when the time came.

Coverage of the Games continued, just in time to film Rainbow Dash place first in the obstacle course. A reporter gave a quick summary of the nine shorter events that had already passed. Silver Shine’s Fillydelphia team led with five first place gold medals, while Ponyville and the Crystal Empire trailed by four. Looking at this score, Starlight found herself wondering if that stallion was correct.

“Don’t worry about it,” Thunder Star said noticing Starlight’s expression. “The Games have only started. Anything can happen.”

“Yeah,” Starlight said with a frown. “That’s what worries me.”

Everyone in the stadium was so enrapt in the fourth archery contest, that not a single one of them saw the unwanted guest who sneaked his way into the field. His invisibility spell kept him hidden from sight, as the only archers capable of seeing through his illusion were busy with their contest. Neither his little brother nor his cousin saw him as he slipped into Ponyville’s tent. Like all team tents, it was a tarp suspended by four metal bars. Easy enough to infiltrate, and nopony around to stop him as he approached their drinking water.

He levitated a tiny test tube, filled with a metallic white powder, from his saddlebag. Slowly, carefully, he sprinkled a few specks into the water. The fine-grained dust quickly dissolved, not so much as a trace. He used only a few milligrams so the debilitating effect would not be as noticeable. Even the lizard would have difficulty discerning what exactly was throwing off its aim by a few centimeters. Maybe if it was lucky, it would place fifth or sixth at best. The miniscule amount would barely even affect its teammates, so the lizard’s failures would seem completely its fault. After all, what excuse could it have when its teammates performed so admirably? He would have preferred to dump in much more, but he had his orders. He plugged up the test tube and turned his attention to an adjacent tent.

With methodical steps that didn’t even leave a print in the grassy field, he slithered past the Crystal Empire tent. Part of him would have loved to poison Lightning, to take out a pro-dragon upstart and thin out the competition, but he knew that would make his sabotage too obvious. He had to throw them off by tampering only with a few of the teams that didn’t side with the lizard. He made his way to the Baltimare tent and came to their drinking water. He unplugged the test tube and dropped grams of the vile powder into the barrel. It was far more than what he put in Ponyville’s water. By the end of the first quarter, they’d be lucky just to see four feet ahead of herself and their archer would be luckier to still hold a bow.

“Sorry, Honey Charm,” he whispered beneath the roaring crowd. “I can’t let you recognize me. Just following orders.”

He snuck over to Manehatten and repeated the process, then to the Trottingham tents. As the spectators cheered for the lizard Spike who scored another first-place victory, the phantom dipped the powder into Trottingham Team B’s water. Within seconds, the powder dissolved, becoming more invisible than the saboteur himself.

His work finished, White Bolt took a moment to glower at the lizard. This upstart had risen too far too fast and it was time for him to fall. Soon, those crowds wouldn’t be cheering for that thing then. His gaze turned to Yellow Bolt, still as sulky and ill-tempered as the day he left them. For a moment, White Bolt found himself stuck between disgust and pity. He just didn’t know how to feel about his little brother anymore, but gradually pity and love won out. White Bolt wished he could fix his brother, not just his orientation, but fix him back to the way he was before their father had to have him beaten. Back when he showed so much promise. White Bolt blamed himself. If he’d kept a better watch over Yellow, then maybe he never would have gone to Dragon Town. Then at least, they’d still be brothers.

“When the time comes,” he told himself, “I’ll know where you stand, Yellow. Perhaps, this time you’ll pick your real family.” Then he left, just as silently and unseen as he arrived.

The fourth archery event ended, with Spike in first place, Lightning and Silver tying for second, Dark Spectre in third place, and Yellow Bolt placing fourth. Each archer returned to their respective tents, either with their head held high or in Yellow’s case, his still sulking face cast low. If Silver’s teammates expected to see their archer return with an irritated scowl at losing to Spike, they were practically floored to instead find him beaming. Even though Spike now led the archers with three first place medals, Silver returned to his tent, exhilarated, still bursting with energy from his Arrow Tag match and his mind still racing from their last contest. Never in his wild dreams did he imagine Spike beating him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so alive.

As he sat down beneath his team tent, Silver smiled. He was glad he stayed healthy long enough to compete against Spike this year.

“Silver?” One of his teammates said, “Did you hear what I just said?”

Silver shook his head. “Sorry, I was thinking.”

His teammate rolled his eyes. “I asked ‘What’s going through your head?’”

“Quite a bit, actually.” Silver touched the tips of his hooves in thought. “I have this gut feeling about others. One that gives me an idea about how good they are at archery, and just how far they’ll push me. Usually, my gut’s never wrong. It’s predicted every disappointment and every worthwhile competitor I’ve ever known. But right now, it feels like it’s in free-fall, like it’s tossing and turning, spinning like a top.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m absolutely thrilled. I’ve only felt this kind of exhilaration from three others: Arrow Bolt, Lightning Star, and now Spike.” Silver’s eyes took on a nostalgic gleam. “Arrow pushed me to my absolute limits. He made me the archer and teleporter I am today. When he retired and gave up archery, I thought my days were done. Nopony could match me. It was all too easy, so why bother continuing? But then, Lightning came along and stirred my old soul in Ice Archery and dozens of other contests, where I was undefeated. But Spike, he just might be the first one who has ever stared me down like that, unafraid.”

“Plus, he beat you in Arrow Tag,” said their racer pegasus.

Another teammate, their weightlifter, scowled at the pegasus. “Technically, it was a tie.”

“Lightning Star couldn’t do what that boy did,” Silver Shine exclaimed with a smirk.

“Eh, I guess he’s pretty good,” said the weightlifter with nonchalance.

Silver’s eyes widened with excitement. “If only you could’ve seen his eyes when we fought. They were practically glowing.” He recalled those blazing emerald serpentine eyes aimed at him as they fought. Those eyes echoed determination. In the vast green inferno, Silver could see a single message, carved into those eyes: “I will not lose. Not to you.” He could still feel their burning gaze. Just the memory still sent chills down his spine. “I came here with a plan to win, a long-term strategy. But that archer,” Silver grinned. “He’s something else. He’s got that spark.”

“Spark?” His teammate frowned. “You mean like Twilight Sparkle?” He asked jokingly.

“No, I mean that spark. That flash of talent and promise that only comes around once every century. You don’t know how to explain it, but you know it when you see it. I recognized it the moment I saw Lightning Star pick up a bow. But just now, I saw glimmers of that spark in Spike as we fought and in full force when he caught that arrow. He has potential, great potential.”

Silver stared at the dragon as he sat beneath his tent, cheering for his own teammate, Applejack, in the Mare’s Weight Toss.

“So much potential I can’t tell where it ends,” he said with a hint of awe. “I can’t begin to imagine how far he’ll go. Or how much he’ll grow.”

Silence rained under the tent, like a cocoon insulating them from the roaring crowd. Silver was not one to give compliments lightly, but this, this was outright praise, practically worship. Each of them had to look at Spike with a newfound appreciation, witnessing how he won Silver’s praise.

Their weightlifter broke the silence by clearing his throat. “You think he’s gonna be the next Sir Knight or something?”

“Hmm,” Silver mumbled thoughtfully.

The weightlifter’s smile dimmed, wondering if Silver was seriously considering this dragon was the reincarnation of a fairytale hero. He shook his head. “I was joking.”

“I know,” Said Silver with a voice layered with weariness and age. “You just made me think of someone, that’s all.”

Almost thirty-five years ago, the Fillydelphia archery range.

That night, Silver waited almost an hour in his private Arrow Tag ring, before Arrow Bolt finally ran into the ring. His purple mane rolled across his back like loose bundles of hay as the grassy stallion panted with wide violet eyes. His dark green sides heaved beneath his cloak.

“You’re late,” mused Silver, more piqued than annoyed.

“Sorry,” Arrow said sheepishly, ruffling the folds of his dark clothes. “I was finishing up a bedtime story for Yellow.”

“And it took an extra hour?”

Arrow rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, you see, Yellow kept asking for another chapter of Sir Knight, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him on a cliffhanger that could keep him up all night—.”

“Which means he made puppy eyes and you said yes,” Silver said with a smirk.

“Well,” Arrow said with a shrug. “If you want to put it so bluntly.”

Silver rolled his eyes. “You keep spoiling that boy, he’ll end up more narcissistic than you. Then how’s he gonna lead the Crusaders? I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: You’re too lenient to be a dad.”

“Possibly,” Arrow said with a laugh. “But do we really want to compare parenting records? Two of my boys already set records in the Games.”

“You got me there,” Silver said with a chuckle. “You’re proud of those boys. I can tell.”

“Well, they’re all I have left.” Arrow looked despondent for a split second. But he worked a smile onto his face. “Anyways, Iron Bolt’s training for the Games. He does weightlifting everyday. And Yellow is very talented. I have him training on archery everyday after school. He takes to it like a fish to water. As long as he stays healthy, he’ll be an incredible archer someday.”

“Good. I look forward to the day I get to take him on,” Silver said as he levitated a barricade into place for their Arrow Tag match. He turned around to realize Arrow had already set up nineteen other barricades.

Arrow turned around, with a look of superiority. “Sure you want to take on the son of Sir Knight?”

Silver sighed, amused at the joke. “If he’s the son of Sir Knight, then I’m the son of Nightmare Moon.”

Instead of laughing, Arrow Bolt frowned. He put on his saddlebags quivers and strung his bow. Silver had a sense that Arrow was deeply offended. This wasn’t the first time Arrow called himself Sir Knight. But it wasn’t out of narcissism or humor; it seemed genuine. As if he actually believed it. Silver shook his head, irritated.

“Look,” said Silver, “just because ponies call us that doesn’t make it true. Besides, Sir Knight’s just a fairytale. A made up story.”

“Stories have power, Silver,” Said Arrow as he inspected his bow without sparing Silver so much as a second glance. “Stories rooted in truths, in ideals, are unstoppable. The leaders that embody those truths and ideals are beacons. That’s what Sir Knight is; a hero rooted in truth and justice, who inspired countless others to follow his example. And that’s what we are. That’s why the Creed will continue to grow, because of us. We’re the beacons pulling followers towards us, towards our ideals. But you won’t accept your role. You won’t let them call you Sir Knight. That’s why they don’t believe in you. But I let them. That’s the reason they chose me to be Grandmaster of the Creed. That’s why they believe in me. I’m willing to be their beacon, their hope. And believe me, I will be. Because, my cause and my life are rooted in truths.”

Silver Shine felt uncomfortable. Arrow’s intensity and ferocious belief were unnerving at times. In the dim light, he could almost swear that Arrow’s eyes were leaking an unnatural crimson aura. A chain around Arrow’s neck, slipping beneath his cloak, shimmered a deep red. Silver couldn’t see what was on the other end of the chain, beneath Arrow’s cloak; perhaps a jewel of some kind. Whatever it was, it made Silver nervous, even after the aura evaporated from Arrow’s eyes and the light ceased to burst forth. He wanted to change the subject, pretend like that whole scene never happened. He would have quipped about how Arrow had to beat him in Arrow Tag first before he could call himself Sir Knight, the greatest archer in the world. But Arrow’s posture showed he was in no joking mood.

“So,” Silver began. “Do you really think we’ll need twenty of these barricades?”

Arrow glanced back at his friend with an innocent smile so wide it made his eyes squint. That smile dipped into a mischievous narrow-eyed smirk. “You might.”

“Oh?” Silver said raising an intrigued eyebrow.

“I’ve been working on a spell. You know the one I tried on you last month during our match?”

“Yeah, I think I know which one you’re talking about. What about it?”

“I think I found a way of perfecting it. Making the effects last much longer,” Arrow said as he stretched his legs. “If it’s alright, I’d like to test it out.”

“Fine,” Silver said. “But when we’re done, you better spend some time and help me clean up our mess.”

“Silver, I’ve told you before,” Said Arrow. “When it comes to cleaning, I’ve got two modes: fast and terrible or slow and terrible. Which one do you want? Cause when we’re done, we gotta go home.”

Silver sighed. “I guess I’ll take fast and terrible then.” He went to his starting place on the other end of the field and smiled. In all his years, he was sure he’d never find anyone else so full of life. Silver doubted there would ever be another archer who could drive him to be the best of the best or who could make his heart burn with so much life.

A blaring horn broke Silver from his memories. The Mare’s Weight Toss ended, with Ponyville’s Applejack taking first place. It didn’t really matter, Silver knew his team would win in the end, even with Spike and Lightning Star. He’d planned everything out. They might lose a few contests, but in the end, they would win the Games. There were two more events before the next archery contest. That would give his team a chance to pull ahead. Besides, he doubted Spike could keep up for much longer. Then again, he wouldn’t complain if the dragon could keep up the fight.

He glanced at Ponyville tent, where Spike sat downing a cup of water. Silver noticed the dragon panting, rubbing his eyes, swaying ever so slightly. It seemed Spike was getting tired much sooner than Silver anticipated. “A little disappointing,” Silver thought. “I’d hoped he’d last longer. Nonetheless, I’m here to reclaim my archery championship title. And I will do just that.”

“Medals translate to points depending on their ranking,” Explained the mare on the TV, End Zone.

Thunder Star groaned, “This again? In the middle of the Games? Really?”

Starlight shushed her. “I don’t know how it works. I’d like to listen.”

Thunder Star grumbled, but went silent. A board appeared behind the mare on the TV started showing numbers and how the scores worked.

“A First Place Medal, also known as the Gold Medal, is worth ten points,” Said End Zone. “Gaining enough of these can put a team drastically ahead of its competitors.”

“No duh,” Thunder murmured. “Just get back to the Games.”

Trixie huffed. From her seat, she swiveled her head to glance at Thunder. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes for Thunder Star to remain silent in her presence so that Trixie may listen to the TV.”

“We’re just hanging out, you don’t need to use your stage name,” Said Thunder with exasperation.

“Look, we’re in a hospital surrounded by nurses and patients,” Trixie growled under her breath. “I’ve done everything to cultivate this stage character, I can’t go dropping it whenever I feel like it. Then ponies will think it’s all a sham.”

“Fine,” Thunder Star groaned. “Just keep your ‘Great and Powerful’ shtick to a minimum, please.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will try,” her voice resumed its haughty tone. “However, the Great and Powerful Trixie must always be addressed with the respect due to her, as she is always great and powerful.”

“Great and Powerful my flank. I bet you can’t even tell when you’re speaking in the third person.”

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is always aware of herself, her self-awareness is unparalleled. This is why she never refers to herself in the third person by accident.”

Thunder gave a flat expression. “Thanks for proving my point. You said it better than I ever could.”

Failing to pick up the filly’s sarcasm, Trixie nodded wisely. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is always willing to help those she deems worthy of helping. Her powers of speech are unmatched.”

“Clearly.”

Starlight sighed. “Will both of you just stop bickering for one minute?”

The mare on the TV continued, “A Second Place Medal, or a Silver Medal, is worth five points. A Third Place Medal, or a Bronze Medal, is worth four points. The rest go into descending order; that is Fourth Place is three points, Fifth Place is two points, and Sixth Place is one points. Anything below this doesn’t receive any points. Technically, the winner might not be determined by who scores the most Gold Medals, but by whoever ends up with the highest total.”

“Which of course means the most Gold Medals, because they’re worth ten bucking points,” Thunder Star said as she rolled her eyes, not impressed by the mare’s analysis.

“You really don’t like this mare, do you?” Said Starlight.

“I like her just fine,” Thunder said. “But I want to watch Lightning and Spike, not listen to this drivel.”

“Trixie believes you are being disrespectful to the TV mare who is trying to explain the rules to any newcomers to the Equestria Games, but Trixie is doing her best to reserve judgment,” said the blue unicorn rapidly, between the speaker’s words when she paused for a breath. “Trixie imagines you’ve grown irritated having been cooped up in a hospital for most of your life, and now given the chance to watch your brother and your idol Spike go against each other, you want to watch every exhilarating detail, as you feel that you can live vicariously through Spike. Therefore, the Great and Powerful Trixie will be patient with Thunder Star and assume she is not intentionally trying to be snarky.”

Slack-jawed, Starlight and Thunder Star turned to Trixie and blinked, dumbfounded. Thunder tried to form words but between absorbing Trixie’s lengthy, well-formulated speech and trying to comprehend how Trixie made such a lengthy, articulate speech, she, ironically enough, found herself speechless.

Starlight managed a quiet, “What?”

“Trixie studied child psychology once,” she explained, with her eyes glued to the TV. “Trixie entertained notions of going into the psychology field, but the lab hours required for the degree were absurd. Eight to eleven-thirty pm? No thank you!”

Thunder Star blinked a moment, then let out a laugh. A sweet, hearty laugh. She laughed so hard it made her cry.

“What’s so funny?” Trixie asked.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just,” Thunder said as she rubbed her eyes wet with mirthful tears, “For a second there, you reminded me of my brother. He’s a bookworm too. Sometimes he says the smartest things without even realizing it.”

Trixie frowned. “How can you say smart things without realizing it? He must not be very self-aware. Otherwise, the Great and Powerful Trixie would infer that he’s either suffers low self-esteem or is just exceedingly humble. Humble ponies like Trixie don’t tend to consider that there is any extraordinary merit within our words.”

“See?” Exclaimed Thunder. “Right there. You did it again.”

“What exactly did the Great and Powerful Trixie do?”

Starlight let out a smile. After a rocky start, she was relieved her friends seemed to be getting along. “If only everypony could find common ground this easily,” Starlight thought. “Then maybe the world would be a better place.” Her thoughts were interrupted when she turned to the TV. The Games were back on. But something was wrong. The scores showed something that didn’t make sense. Spike hadn’t placed first since the fourth archery event. Every following archery event had him scoring in third place. Starlight thought this was a mistake until she watched the tenth archery event unfold. Spike was moving too slowly, blinking too much, and struggling just to keep up. By the time the event ended, Lightning, Silver, and Yellow had tied for first, while he placed third behind the Las Pegasus archer. Starlight wished her eyes were deceiving her, but the truth was right in front of her: Ponyville was losing.

“What’s wrong with me?” Spike wondered as he walked back to his teammates, crestfallen. He placed third for the fifth time, letting Yellow, Lightning, and Silver hog most of the first place medals. So far, Silver only scored first or second place in archery contests, never anything less. But he’d been falling behind, and he couldn’t figure out why. Spike had felt fine a few matches ago, but now he felt off, something he couldn’t explain. Something just didn’t feel right. Yet, whatever it was, he’d allowed Ponyville to fall behind the Crystal Empire and Fillydelphia Team A.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Rainbow Dash said, patting his back as he walked back into their tent. “Sometimes, things like this happen.”

Spike nodded numbly.

“You already got us three gold place medals,” Applejack said. “That ain’t bad at all. Why, if we get a few more gold medals we’ll be in the lead before this half of the Games ends.”

“And even if we don’t,” Bulk said, “There’s still another quarter to turn this all around. So buck up little buddy.”

He did his best to swallow his disappointment and smile. So many across Equestria were looking to him for inspiration. He would not let them see him afraid or disheartened. Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss.

“Are you feeling okay, Spike?” Asked Fluttershy with concern.

Spike rubbed his head. “I’m not sure, I’ve been feeling a little dizzy lately.”

“You too?” Said Applejack. “I’ve been feeling a little wobbly myself. I thought I was just tired.”

“Me three.” Bulk frowned. “Are we getting cramps or something?”

“Well, maybe we’re all dehydrated. Get some more water,” Rainbow Dash suggested. After downing a cup of water, she stretched, arching her back and extending her legs. “Now, I gotta get our Triathlon gold medal.”

“Go get em, Rainbow,” Applejack grinned.

“YEAH!” Bulk exclaimed. “Get us ALL the medals!”

Spike glanced at the water barrel, and decided to take another swig. He drank at least five paper cones of water. Feeling his thirst quenched, he turned his attention to the Games. It may have been his imagination but Rainbow Dash looked a bit unsteady as she made her way to the starting line. His eyes honed from archery could see there was something wrong with this whole picture.

Before he could ponder these thoughts any further, the race began. Spike would have cheered for Dash with his teammates, but he noticed something strange. He glanced to the Baltimare tent and saw Honey Charm swaying unevenly. She was blinking every few seconds and muttering something unintelligible. But everypony else seemed fine. Lightning, Yellow, and Silver were all sitting comfortably beneath their tents. He could’ve sworn Yellow was staring at Honey Charm, trying to get her attention. Did he think there was something wrong with her too?

A sharp cheer caught his ear, breaking through his thoughts and bringing him back to the Triathlon. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Rainbow Dash wasn’t leading the pack. She wasn’t even second place. Fillydelphia’s Team A and Team B ponies were neck and neck. Still, there was four hundred kilometers left to run. She could take back the lead. Spike knew she was more than fast enough to win this. So why was she lagging behind? A thought crossed his mind, a strange thought that he knew he couldn’t prove.

“Is she sick?” he murmured to himself. “Are we all getting sick?”

No pony heard him over the roaring crowd. Part of him was content to just accept the losses were his own fault and not some nameless virus, but as he watched Rainbow Dash of all ponies barely manage to place third in a race she should’ve by all rights won, he felt that his concerns were more than just a result of self doubt. His teammates seemed to share his sentiment, the entire group seeming unable to process what they had seen.

“She lost?” Bulk said, disbelievingly. “But, she never loses the Triathlon.”

His friends spoke, but they seemed to slip into the corner of Spike’s mind. He didn’t want to lose, not in front of all these ponies. He didn’t want to fail them, to disappoint them. But if Rainbow Dash couldn’t win in her own Triathlon, what hope did he have?

“Spike?” Fluttershy’s distant voice shook him. “Spike what’s wrong?” Her voice seemed to reverberate, as though it came from the far end of a deep cave. “Spike?” His hands clutched his stomach, and perspiration poured down his sick face. He looked like a green lollipop dribbling with sticky sweat. Blinking several times, Spike managed to clear his vision.

“I’m fine, Fluttershy,” he said. “Perfectly fine.”

Thirty Minutes later:

She was getting anxious. A hospital was the last place Rainbow Dash wanted to be. Waiting for an update on her teammate’s condition even less so. She paced across the floor, waiting for a doctor to come out. Her headache and dizziness had long passed. All of her teammates were feeling better from the strange, inexplicable sickness. After a doctor checked her, he declared she was perfectly healthy. Now, she had to wait, and hope her friend wasn’t hurt. So much went wrong in the last event when ponies started collapsing and falling in the middle of the contest. Accidents happened, athletes were injured, and Ponyville’s score was the least of their worries.

Fluttershy stared at the ground, anxious. She sat in a chair in the waiting room with Applejack, doing their best to ignore the reporters on the TV. They were covering the first half of the Games and the final scores, taking special time to highlight how Ponyville had managed to drop behind the Crystal Empire as well as both Fillydelphia teams. While the shy pony would’ve opted to blame herself, the TV announcers saw fit to place the fault entirely on Spike. Under any other circumstance, she hated feeling like she was the one who failed everypony, but she’d take all their criticism and scorn just to make them stop talking about Spike.

“After a promising start, young Ponyville archer Spike quickly fell behind the other archers, only managing third place or lower in the remaining events of the first half,” said the stallion on the TV. “In total, he managed to win only three gold place medals, two of which were won through outright ties.”

A board flashed on the screen, showing the painful final scores of each archer and ranking them.

Fourth Place: Spike: 3 First Place, 2 Second Place, 5 Third Place, and 1 Fourth Place: 59 points.

Third Place: Yellow Bolt: 5 First Place, 1 Second Place, 5 Fourth Place, 1 Fifth Place: 72 points.

Second Place: Lightning Star: 6 First Place, 3 Second Place, 1 Third Place: 79 points.

And finally, First Place: Silver Shine: 7 First Place and 3 Second Place: 95 points.

Applejack snorted contemptuously. “They’re supposed to score us as a team, not individually. What a load of horse-apples.”

Rainbow Dash broke from her pacing and snapped. “Would you stop paying attention to that thing?”

Neither Fluttershy nor Applejack replied to her harsh rebuke. She was just nervous. They all were. The last event ended in catastrophe, and now their teammate was hospitalized.

Not helping were the glances cast in their direction by other ponies in the waiting room, full of disappointment and derision. They all had high hopes for Ponyville and for Spike. But he only fumbled at the last stretch. For someone who talked a big game in the Arrow Tag match, Spike couldn’t back up his words with actual talent. After the fourth archery match, he couldn’t score so much as a second place. The TV displayed the top four teams and their scores, confirming that Ponyville had indeed failed.

1st Place: Fillydelphia Team A

18 First Place Medals. 5 Second Place Medals. 3 Third Place Medals. 3 Fourth Place Medals. 2 Fifth Place Medals. 1 Sixth Place Medal. 231 points.

Silver Shine’s team had taken almost half of all the gold medals in just the first half of the Games. Their performance was practically flawless, with each member winning at least three gold medals.

2nd Place: Fillydelphia Team B

13 First Place Medals. 6 Second Place Medals. 5 Third Place Medals. 6 Fourth Place Medals. 2 Fifth Place Medals. 1 Sixth Place Medal. 203 points.

How did a team that started so miserably end up with 13 gold medals? All signs pointed to Yellow Bolt. He practically symbolized their progression. To many, he started out an unpopular, unknown, whiny loser, but by the sixth archery event, he was back to tying in first with Silver and Lightning, even seizing his own gold medals over them and regaining the support of much of the crowd. He and his team dominated remaining half, scoring consecutive first place medals. Ponies were now saying that he was the archer to watch out for, that he was the rising talent, the next Lightning Star. Just thinking about it made Applejack scowl so hard it hurt her forehead. How did that pompous brat do so well?

3rd Place: Crystal Empire

12 First Place Medals. 8 Second Place Medals. 4 Third Place Medals. 1 Fourth Place Medal. 2 Fifth Place Medals. 1 Sixth Place Medal. 184 points.

The commentators made a brief remark how the Crystal Empire could be within striking range to take back second or maybe even first place. Then came the failure they built up to, the losing team that received more attention than the actual winning team.

4th Place: Ponyville

9 First Place Medals. 6 Second Place Medals. 6 Third Place Medals. 2 Fourth Place. 4 Fifth Place. 4 Sixth Place. 162 points.

They said things about each teammate, taking time to dissect their performances and respective failures. But they dwelt especially long on Spike, blaming Ponyville’s underperformance on him. The mare on the TV, End Zone, even cited the earlier predictions made by Instant Replay of Spike’s likely failures. Overall, the consensus, Spike was indeed, too inexperienced and naïve to keep up with professional archers. And just to add more salt to the wound, she even mentioned her disappointment, how until now she’d been adamant in her support of Spike. Another commentators danced around the idea of Prince Blueblood banning Spike, pointing to several arguments against his species, age, and his connections to royalty and radical dragon-sympathizers.

“Good for nothing, lousy ponies,” grumbled Applejack. “Why don’t you say all that to our faces?”

For all their criticism and empty rhetoric, Fluttershy had an idea of why the announcers were truly so hard on Ponyville. Four teams, all opposed to Spike’s participation, had fallen ill in the last part of the Games. Athletes collapsed on the field, needing to be carted off to the hospital. Dark Spectre actually hurled in the middle of the Games and had to be escorted off the field with the rest of Baltimare’s team. Suddenly, it looked like Ponyville and her allies were cheating, poisoning the other teams to gain an edge. Prince Blueblood only served to escalate matters when he made a big display of taking away Rainbow Dash, King Thorax, and Dragon Lord Ember for questioning. Twilight didn’t help either when she intervened on their behalf, reminding the Prince that she had a very dangerous friend waiting for his invite. Within minutes, crazed ponies seized on this narrative, driving a theory of sabotage. They made it seem less farfetched; “Realizing they’re falling behind, Ponyville turns to poisoning its competition, desperate to further their pro-dragon agenda.” At the center of it all: Spike. If he never came to the Games, if Rainbow Dash never brought him in to compete, none of this would have happened.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t dwell on how the first round of the Games turned out, or that she lost her Triathlon record to Fillydelphia. She couldn’t even muster any anger at the TV, Prince Blueblood, or all the ponies doubting them. Ruminating on the disappointing outcome seemed trivial, especially now. She just wanted to know if her friend would recover, if her teammate could still compete. Ponies came by to give her their condolences, from Spitfire and Cloudsdale to Baltimare and even Griffonstone. They were all worried about him. Even if he was Ponyville, he was the one athlete everyone genuinely liked.

At last the doctor came back out. Rainbow Dash rushed to him.

“So, how is he?”

The doctor smiled and said, “He’s going to be fine. His injuries aren’t too bad and he should recover in time.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Rainbow Dash sighed with uncharacteristic relief.

Applejack and Fluttershy joined her in sighing with relief. For a moment, they feared the worst. But that relief was erased with the doctor’s next words.

“But I’m afraid he’s in no condition to participate in the Games. With the injuries he’s sustained, he just shouldn’t.”

Silence swept the Ponyville athletes. A dreadful realization struck Rainbow Dash as her heart sank. “If he can’t participate anymore, we’re finished. We won’t win enough first place medals to take this Game back. We’ve lost.”

30 minutes ago; the Equestria Games:

Spike trudged back to the Ponyville tent, defeated. He could already see the headlines to this catastrophe: Ponyville’s Archer Under Performs: Dragon can’t beat Fillydelphia. Somehow, Silver managed to end up with seven gold medals; almost half of the total archery events. Even Yellow surged ahead of him with five gold medals. And if that wasn’t bad enough, as miserable as he felt, he could tell the crowds were even more disappointed. Ponies were upset he got their expectations up at first only to fall short as the Game continued, dragons were disappointed he couldn’t represent them as a powerful, talented species worthy of respect, and everyone else was disappointed that he couldn’t match up to Fillydelphia’s archers. So much for the “Dragon Ace.”

His teammates offered some encouraging words, and he did his best to smile, even though he was breaking apart inside. All his effort, all of his hard work and passion, did it all really amount to nothing? The only things keeping him going were his friends and dedicated followers, calmly and patiently supporting him. They were the reason he could lift up his head and keep marching out into the field. If he didn’t have them cheering him on, he might not even have gotten third place. He didn’t have time to dwell on these thoughts as Bulk Biceps took to the field for the final contest of the first half: Weightlifting.

Spike was feeling a little bit less dizzy as he sat beneath the shade of the tent. Ponies moved barbells, benches, and dozens of iron weights onto the field. As they set up and weightlifters from other teams came onto the field, Bulk took a moment to turn around to Rainbow Dash and the rest of Ponyville and nod, silently promising to win them a medal. Referees came onto the field and stood at each bench, waiting for the pegasi weightlifters to pair up. Bulk turned to a muscular Trottingham stallion, and extended his hoof. The stallion regarded him for a moment, then bumped Bulk’s hoof with his own. The two then went to a bench, where the Trottingham stallion sat down, grabbed a barbell, and started pumping the weight as Bulk watched over him.

“Who’s that?” Spike asked Rainbow Dash. “The one Bulk just hoof-bumped.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I think he’s Steel Mill, or something. He’s the one spotting Bulk for this event.

“Hmm,” Spike murmured, scratching his chin. “Can we trust him? Trottingham hasn’t exactly been fond of us during these games.”

Rainbow Dash whipped around at Spike. “Dude, have some faith. Just because they don’t like us doesn’t mean they’ll let Bulk get hurt.”

“Alright,” Spike said as he raised his hands defensively. “I just wanted to be safe.”

“Spike, it doesn’t do us any good to suspect others,” She said. “Especially if you want to bridge the gaps. Besides, I’ve never met another pony who hates Bulk.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Someponies don’t like me or Rainbow Dash, but I don’t think anypony can bring themselves to hate Bulk.”

“Why’s that?” Asked Spike.

“Probably the same reason a lot of ponies are fond of Pinkie,” Applejack said. “Bulk makes ponies smile.”

“Most ponies,” grumbled Rainbow Dash beneath her breath. “He makes most ponies smile. His kind of ‘humor’ wears me down really fast.”

Bulk watched over the stallion pumping his weight. A referee kept count of the reps. Spike watched this activity unfold across six other pairs with the rehearsed coordination of a primed clock, ticking with each rep. It was beautiful, orderly. The order beneath every action was mesmerizing. After fifty or so reps, the Trottingham stallion’s face looked more blue than natural, even with his already blue fur. Bulk helped him finish the final rep and place the barbell back into its resting place. The stallion sat there a moment, panting and heaving. Then, he rolled out of his chair and swapped places with Bulk.

Three other ponies had given up too, well before the minute was called. When the minute ended, they all swapped places. A single referee called the start time and the new weightlifters started once again. The crowd watched with relative silence, only an occasional clap or cheer breaking through the watchers’ silence. Bulk lifted the weight over his chest faster than everyone else, and showed no signs of stopping. The outcome of this match seemed fairly obvious.

Spike’s head felt much clearer now, less hindered by the slight nausea and fatigue that plagued him a little while ago. In fact, he felt perfect. Filled with a second burst of energy, he cupped his mouth and exclaimed, “You can do it, Bulk!” A few ponies glanced at him, but otherwise they kept their concentration squarely on the action.

Thirty seconds had passed, when it happened. Almost nopony saw it at first, until someone noticed strange activity at the Baltimare tent. The archer Dark Spectre swayed on her hooves. All at once, she barfed, and collapsed. Then, her teammates fell as well. Before anyone could make sense of it, ponies under the Manehatten’s tent threw up, and fell onto their sides writhing. Then, the weightlifters. Two weightlifters fell unconscious, and dropped their dumbbells. Their spotters struggled to catch the weights before they collapsed. As the referees gawked at the sudden onset of this strange illnesses, that’s when it happened in front of everypony. The clock order and structure of the contest collapsed under its own weight. The Trottingham stallion spotter fainted, sliding on top of the suspended weight. Startled, Bulk lost his grip. His barbell fell onto his stomach. He screamed, as his ribcage cracked. He started gasping for breath. The referees stopped everything and pulled the weight off of Bulk. Several ponies with stretchers rushed onto the field, carrying off the injured. The crowd was in an uproar, horrified as limp, immobile athletes were carted off. The Ponyville athletes rushed onto the field to Bulk’s stretcher, except Spike who stood there, numbness coursing through his body. The last Spike saw of Bulk Biceps, before he was carried off, were the crimson flecks pooling up and staining his white fur.

Chapter 17 Getting Back Up

The headlines and outlets were getting difficult to distinguish. Talentless Spike Stoops to Poisoning other Athletes to Gain an Edge. Spike-provocateurs Meddle with Pro-Blueblood Teams, eliminate the competition. Corruption on a Grand Scale. He and Twilight could only do so much to press back against these accusations before new ones sprung up. Why did Spike ask King Thorax to Poison the other Athletes? Have Changelings Sabotaged the Games for Ponyville? King Thorax and the Changelings denied that theory but angered ponies insisted one should never trust a Changeling, not after the Changeling Invasions.

Even as Thorax tried to shut down these accusations, twenty more took its place. Spike: Secretly Venomous Dragon. Twilight Interfered in First Half to Help Spike Win: Threatened Blueblood with Uncontrollable Guest. These theories started from rumors that Twilight threatened to invite Discord if Spike wasn’t allowed to compete. From there, the rumors grew: She used Discord to force Prince Blueblood to rig the Games for Spike or perhaps Discord himself made the other teams sick to help Spike. It didn’t help that Discord couldn’t be reached for comment. Yellow and Spike Staged their Rescue to make Each other Look Good. Spike: Fraud Archer with No Talent. Ponies who didn’t like him would eat up those headlines with gusto as if it confirmed what they knew all along. TV stations, radios, and newspapers implicated him in the sudden illness of all those teams by clinging to threads and spinning them into elaborate ruses. The public always loved a good scandal, especially one about a celebrity.

As the athletes were rushed to the hospital, a few media outlets immediately began placing the blame on Spike or his many friends. After all, the teams that fell ill were largely anti-dragon. As one irate stallion argued, Baltimare and Manehatten were sister cities to Fillydelphia, the victims of a dragon attack just last month. Trottingham idolized Sir Knight of Trottingham, a character with close ties to anti-dragon sentiment. Ponyville and Spike had much to gain with these four teams out of the picture. Surely, further investigation would reveal Spike had some part in their sickness. This never happened before a dragon participated in the Games. Most ponies would realize he couldn’t have poisoned anyone, that these accusations were empty and impossible. But the theories were already out and they spread like wildfire, and the groups spreading these rumors wouldn’t let up in their slanderous assaults.

When the police ordered Spike to headquarters for questioning, he realized just how powerful this slander had become. Despite appearing polite on the surface level, Spike could tell their demeanor was a guise to catch him in some kind of crime. Long after he’d left the interrogation room, thanks to Twilight’s intervention, he still felt their vulture-eyes aimed at him. However, their interrogation couldn’t compare to the spectacle outside the station. As he and Twilight left the building, they were bombarded by a cacophony of over thirty ponies protesting, demanding he give up on the Games for hurting other ponies, journalists demanding his response to the countless allegations. He couldn’t satisfy all their questions, he couldn’t possibly deal with everypony. It was overwhelming, suffocating, and no amount of denial could satiate the hoard. It was only thanks to Twilight’s teleportation that they managed to escape.

Baltimare Hospital, Now:

Twilight and Spike entered the hospital, an occurrence that at this point seemed all too familiar. They didn’t say anything as they made their way to the waiting room. Spike couldn’t care about all the libel and slander facing them; he just wanted to know if Bulk would be okay. Upon reaching the room, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy raced over to them. Rarity and Pinkie Pie also followed, having recently arrived themselves. Twilight gave them a brief explanation of what happened, but Spike could barely concentrate on what she said. His mind was still whirling with all the headlines he’d seen.

“Someponies will go blaming dragons for everything,” Applejack said with disgust. “We just gotta get out there and set the record straight. Somehow.”

“Just ignore them, Spike,” Said Rarity. “They’re just trying to get under your scales.”

Spike turned his gaze down. While he appreciated the sentiment, neither of their suggestions was especially helpful. Even if he went out there and told everypony these ridiculous theories were impossible, twenty more ridiculous theories would take their place. If he ignored them, they’d only grow, unopposed. It was a lose-lose.

Wanting to change the subject, Twilight asked, “How’s Bulk?”

Rainbow Dash pointed to a doctor, standing in the doorframe. Spike and Twilight followed him into a hallway that branched out into several patient rooms. After passing five other rooms, the doctor turned right and led them into a small white room where Bulk Biceps lay in a hospital bed, with Lightning Star and Fleetfoot at his side. When Spike entered the room, the couple turned around, while Bulk swiveled his head to look at them and smiled.

“Salutations,” he coughed. His loud voice came through like a hoarse whisper choked with pain. “I’d say ‘hey,’ but somepony told me that ‘hey is for horses,’ and I know Spike’s a dragon, so he probably doesn’t like hay.”

Spike smiled weakly, grateful that even hospitalization couldn’t damper Bulk’s liveliness. A quick glance on the other side of the bed revealed a pile of flowers, Get-Well cards, and packages of chocolates. Evidently, Spike wasn’t the only one eager to see the muscle bound stallion recover.

“Hello, Spike,” Said Lightning with a solemn expression. He nodded to Twilight. “We were just swinging by to check up on Bulk.”

“Swinging?” Bulk’s voice came through like a wheeze. “But you don’t have a seat suspended by ropes or chains right now.”

Fleetfoot sighed and gave a heavy smile. “It’s just an expression Bulk.”

Bulk Biceps attempted to adjust himself in his bed, revealing the hospital gown he was wearing, but Spike paid more attention to the outline of bandages wrapped around his ribcage, which Bulk was applying an icepack to.

As Twilight told them all about Spike’s police interview, Spike found it impossible to look at either Bulk or Lightning. Guilt weighed down his mind, shackled him to a rising tide of shame. “I failed them,” he thought. “I failed Lightning by making him look like a horrible teacher in front of the world and I failed Bulk by making Ponyville look bad.” He balled his fists, wanting something or even someone to punch and kick across the room.

“Spike,” Twilight’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I said ‘we both appreciate the two of you coming by.’ Right?”

“Yeah,” Said Spike.

Twilight sighed, wishing she had some magic words to fix all of their problems. Lightning walked up to Spike and put a hoof on his shoulder, the drake waiting for his mentor’s usual “don’t beat yourself” and “we fail before we succeed” lecture. But instead, Lightning had a grave, somber expression.

“During the first half, did you feel at all sick?” Asked Lightning. “Even a little?”

Spike looked up at Lightning, surprised his mentor asked such an astute question. He nodded.

Lightning frowned. “Can you describe how you felt?”

Spike thought hard. “Well, my vision was a little blurry and I felt really exhausted. Part of me wanted to throw up.”

“What?” Twilight exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell somepony?”

“I barely noticed it,” Said Spike. “I mean the worst of it was over in an hour. I thought maybe I was just losing focus or something.”

Lightning nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds about right. Tell me, did anypony else on your team look unwell?”

“Well,” Spike said as he recalled each little detail. “I remember thinking Rainbow Dash was running slower than she should’ve during the triathlon. And I felt like AJ lost a few matches she shouldn’t have. Why?”

“Just a theory.” Said Lightning rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It sounds to me like your team was poisoned.”

Lightning’s statement chilled Spike and Twilight right to the bone.

“What makes you think that?” Asked Twilight, horrified at the notion.

“Well, before I became an archery teacher and athlete, I wanted to be a Royal Guard.” Just mentioning the Royal Guard put a spark in his eyes that Spike had never seen before. Lightning rubbed the back of his head with a hint of embarrassment and regret as he continued, “Anyways, had to study a few different subjects, including cases of poisoning for the test to become a guard. Your symptoms sound like something from those cases. I can’t tell which chemical might have been used on you or your teammates specifically. Still, it seems like a possibility.”

“But if that’s right,” Said Twilight, “Then we need to talk to the referees, and get a retry!”

Lightning sighed. “I already tried. Unfortunately, they aren’t willing to give Spike another chance. There just isn’t enough evidence for them to justify redoing the entire first half of the games.”

“But the poisoning?”

“To them, it looked like exhaustion. And it’s not like I can prove it. I don’t even know how or when anyone could’ve gotten that poison into Spike, much less the other teams.”

“Hmm,” Twilight murmured. “They must’ve had a chance at some point. Maybe this chemical can dissolve in water or travel through air.”

“Even if it did,” Lightning said. “It’s a big stretch to claim Spike wasn’t at his best because of poisoning. Especially when the teams against him were poisoned even worse.”

Fleetfoot frowned. “I guess it does make it look like one Spike’s friends poisoned the other teams.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “And those other teams that got sick are just more important cases. They won’t be able to compete, and they might stay sick for weeks. The referees and higher-ups are more concerned about getting justice for those teams, especially Baltimare since this happened on their turf. So, Ponyville-tampering just isn’t a priority right now.”

“So they won’t even pause the Games to give police a chance to investigate?” Asked Twilight incredulously.

“They wanted to, but not in the way that you’d think,” Said Lightning. “At the moment, they seem pretty adamant about investigating Spike and anypony associated with him, including all of you.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “I’ll talk to Prince Blueblood, remind him that I have a powerful friend waiting for his invitation.”

“That powerful friend must scare him,” Lightning Star said with a little smile. “Prince Blueblood’s already nullified the scores of the weightlifting contest and pressured the mayor to deny the police any arrest warrants. Seems like he doesn’t want to cross you.”

“That doesn’t sound like him,” Spike said with a raised eyebrow.

“He’s probably only doing it to avoid your ‘friend’ or whatever,” Said Fleetfoot. “But at least it’s helping you.”

“I guess so,” Said Twilight with a little chuckle. “Come to think of it. I’m a little bit amazed Discord hasn’t gotten involved already. He’s been unusually quiet since the Games started.” Her face returned to its perplexed frown, as though there was some miniscule,infinitesimal detail she neglected, or a troubling footnote that confused her.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Spike suggested. “I mean the guy’s a literal harbinger of destruction. We’ve got enough chaos going on already.”

“Anyways, we’ve got to get back to our teams,” Lightning said with a glance at Fleetfoot. “But Spike, you should be proud. Most archers with that gunk in their body would be lucky to place sixth. You managed to get third place, which is nothing to sniff at. It means your natural talents and training can and will carry you through.”

Spike had to admit that made him feel a little better. He pushed through poison and managed to place in every archery match. Maybe, he didn’t fail his teammates after all.

“One more thing,” Lightning said. “If they were bold enough to poison you, then they’re probably going to try again and won’t hesitate to resort to other extreme measures to stop you, so be careful. I have a feeling things could get really dangerous soon.”

Spike nodded, with Twilight offering her own thanks for their presence.

“It’s too bad about your Royal Guard dreams,” Said Twilight. “I think you’d make a wonderful knight.”

“Thanks Princess.” Lightning said with a little chuckle. His face then morphed into a disappointed frown. “Too bad the Royal Guard didn’t think so.”

“I could always put in a recommendation for you,” Said Twilight.

“It’s fine.” Lightning waved a hoof to shrug off her offer. “I’m not sure I could go through the applications again. They dig up your past to make sure you’re morally qualified for the job. It was painful enough getting my past shoved in my face once. I’m not eager to do it again.”

With that, the pair left the room. But during their less than fast departure, Twilight heard Fleetfoot admonish Lightning’s self-deprecation, which only confused her. Why wouldn’t he be morally suited for the job? Spike also wanted to know what past Lightning was talking about. But those thoughts were interrupted when Bulk spoke up.

“So,” Bulk said in a voice softer than Fluttershy’s. “I guess you know what this means.” With a small shrug, he gestured to his ribcage. Spike nodded. Bulk sank into his pillow, and closed his eyes. He sighed. “Well, this stinks. But I guess it is what it is.”

“I’m sorry,” Said Spike, however, Bulk stopped him with a simple look.

“Oh, stop it little buddy. It’s not your fault this happened,” he said before pausing for a moment. “You know, I’ve been doing these Games with Rainbow for five years now. I’ll never get why she chose an idiot like me for her teammate, but I’m glad she gave me the chance. Not many ponies would.” He swallowed, gulping down air that descended through his lungs, scraping his throat like thin layers of knives.

“Rainbow Dash,” Spike said slowly. Talking pained him as much as it pained Bulk. “She’s a good friend. She knows a winner when she sees one. Unless he’s a turtle named Tank.”

Bulk chuckled a little. “I heard about that, better make sure she doesn’t find out you said that, she loves that turtle like crazy.”

The pair broke out in chuckles at the thought of Dash getting all emotional over her turtle being insulted.

“Yeah, she’s pretty crazy, but she saw something in me that I didn’t see myself. The best of what I can be.” He looked down at his hooves, pressing the icepack against his side. “I’m not disappointed that I can’t compete. It’s not the first time I couldn’t make it. I’m only disappointed in myself, for getting hurt when you all needed me.”

“It’s not your fault,” Said Twilight. “Nopony could’ve stopped this.”

“Yeah. But Spike? I need you to understand something.”

“What is it?” Spike asked.

“We’re all counting on you. Not like ‘1-2-3 counting,’ but ‘depending-on-you’ kind of counting.” He opened his mouth to say more but silence filled the air as he searched for words. At last, he gave a shrug. “Sorry, I’ve never been good at speeches, and I know you’ve gotten so many ‘don’t give up’ talks that at this point it’s probably redundant for some musclehead like me to say it too.” He adjusted himself on the bed, trying to sit up a bit more so he could look at Spike eyelevel. “Just, don’t disappoint yourself by giving up now, okay?”

Despite what had to be his fifth pep talk, Spike still felt uncertain. He wanted to believe that he could succeed, that he could change Equestria’s opinion about dragons. That he could prove Bulk and Starlight’s injuries weren’t in vain. But some nagging thoughts of doubt kept holding him back. Still, he said, “I’ll try.”

Bulk nodded. “Sometimes, that’s the best we ever can do.”

As a bitter smile crossed Bulk’s face, a single tear streaked down his face like a shooting star. Spike had so much to say, so much to apologize for, but standing there before his broken friend, he was wordless.

“And don’t,” Bulk chortled through hot tears and a broken ribcage. He took a deep, painful breath. “Don’t blame yourself for this. It wasn’t your fault.”

Spike said nothing. He couldn’t agree with Bulk. If he hadn’t agreed to compete for Equestria, then maybe none of this would have happened. Sure, he’d still be that nobody dragon and number one assistant to Twilight, but at least in that world his friends would be alright. He balled his fists, wishing he had something to strike.

At that moment, two ponies entered the room: Yellow Bolt and Silver Shine. They both stared at Twilight and Spike, a heavy cloud of awkwardness hanging over the room. Neither party expected to run into the other, the former pair having assumed Spike was still being interrogated. Yellow shuffled in place, looking anywhere but directly at Spike while Silver Shine could feel the dragon’s anger focused on him, and did his best to keep his growing discomfort from being visible on his face.

“We…” Silver began. He cleared his throat. “We were checking up on Honey Charm, and just wanted to come by and wish Bulk a healthy recovery.”

“Thanks,” Bulk said, though without his usual enthusiasm

Silver e quietly mumbled something to himself, unable to find a good follow up while Yellow kept his eyes to the ground. Eventually, Silver was able to say, “I’m sorry.” Sometimes accidents happen.”

“Like shooting your teammate in the back?” Spike growled.

“Spike!” Twilight chided him before turning to Silver. “I’m sorry, we’ve been through some stress lately.”

“Haven’t we all?” Yellow said in a snarling tone. “I just sat down with my—,” he caught himself and quickly corrected his words. “With Honey Charm. She could barely even recognize me.” Silence permeated the room. Yellow’s face screamed with distress. He was trembling, worried, and he turned his emotions on Spike. “Give me an honest answer. Are the things they’re saying true? Did you poison her? Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t.”

Spike met Yellow Bolt’s gaze and firmly said, “No, I didn’t poison anypony and I never would” Yellow Bolt regarded him a moment.

“I believe you, Spike,” He said without a hint of deception. “But can you honestly tell me that none of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for you?”

Spike couldn’t say no, despite how much he wished that wasn’t the case.

“I didn’t think so,” Yellow said. He turned around and sighed. “Seems like every time I try to be nice to dragons, something in my life has to go wrong.” He shook his head. “When I reached out to you, I thought I had nothing left to lose. Why not talk? Why not give him a little help? Well, good to know I have a few precious things left. Good to know I can always lose something else. And let me tell you, it’s great to know I could be broken even more than I already am.”

“Yellow, I…” Spike reached out a hand, but Yellow sensed Spike’s approach and snapped.

“I told you already. We aren’t friends. And whether she pulls through or not, I want nothing else to do with you.” With that, Yellow left the room, slamming the door on the way out.

Silver released a sigh. “I’m sorry about Yellow. He always tends to get a little … overdramatic at times.”

Spike forehead crinkled into a scowl. How dare this pompous back-stabber insult Yellow Bolt after everything he’d been through, after all he suffered?

“You don’t know him,” Spikesaid, managing to keep his tone low to hid his growing anger. Silver glanced at him, with curiosity. Spike noticed Silver’s face was almost expressionless, save for a twinkle of regret.

“I’ve known him ever since he was a colt. His father was a dear friend of mine, and one of the greatest stallions to ever live. Bright, innovative, full of life, and a fine archer.” Silver’s expressionless face morphed into something like nostalgia. “When we fought, Spike, you reminded me a lot of him.”

Spike recoiled, horrified. Silver thought he was like Yellow Bolt’s abusive, deranged, hate-mongering father? Spike reminded him of a founder of the group that put Starlight in the hospital? Just the idea was appalling. Silver’s eyes narrowed at Spike’s disgusted reaction, offended the drake thought so little of his deceased friend.

“I meant that as a compliment,” Said Silver.

Spike shook his head. “If you really knew him, you’d know that it’s hardly a compliment,” Spike said.

“What’re you talking about?” Silver scowled, perplexed. “I knew him better than anyone.”

“More than a few ponies would say otherwise.” Spike retorted.

“What do you mean?” Silver asked with only a hint of doubt. “What don’t I know about him?”

“Try asking Yellow Bolt,” Spike said angrily.

Silver blinked. “That child?” He almost wanted to scoff. “You shouldn’t believe most of what he says. That poor boy went crazy when he was fifteen. Suffered a nervous breakdown.”

“Is that what his father told you?”

Silver was silent. When Yellow Bolt was relocated to Baltimare, Silver never once asked Arrow why. His friend just said Yellow needed fresh air and he never saw a need to question him, figuring Yellow Bolt had been feeling stressed about something. Ever since Yellow left, he always looked shaky and trembling. His accuracy with a bow became shoddy and he constantly had to put others down, as if it was the only way to feel good about himself. Was there a reason behind it all?

“Spike, that’s enough,” Said Twilight. “Silver came by to wish Bulk a healthy recovery. Now’s not the time to bicker.”

At Twilight’s request, Spike backed down. “Yes, Twilight. I’m sorry.” His apology was less than sincere. He could forgive Starlight and Discord for trying to destroy him and Trixie for being a general pain, at least they were remorseful and apologized. However, he could not forget Silver shooting Yellow in the middle of Arrow Tag without a trace of remorse. He cast Silver a final glare before turning around.

“Silver,” Said Twilight, “I appreciate you trying to pay Bulk a visit. Actually, I’m glad you came by. There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Tell me something,” She said with narrowed eyes, “Did you try to set me up?”

Silver paused. “Excuse me?”

“I said did you try to set me up? Did you tell Thorax about that old meeting place to trick me to going out there so your gang could seal my magic?”

Silver’s face went cold, pale as a phantom. His eyes widened, alarmed and his mouth opened to an “O.” That reaction seemed to confirm Twilight’s suspicions, until Silver uttered six words.

“Did you say ‘seal my magic?’” Silver said slowly. “Is that what happened to your friend?”

“Yes. And you still haven’t answered the question.”

Silver didn’t seem to hear her, lost in his own thoughts, gripped by a sudden jarring realization.

Silver looked at Twilight. “I know only one unicorn capable of sealing a unicorn’s magic.”

Spike watched at the scene unfolding between Twilight and Silver. He could feel a chill running through the air, as silence overtook them. Silver had a name. He had a culprit.

“Who?” Asked Twilight.

Silver still didn’t seem to hear her. He gazed past Twilight with a look of apprehension. “But it’s not possible.”

She howled, “WHO??”

“Yeesh, Twilight,” said Bulk with his hooves on his ears. “You’re not an owl, you know.”

Silver glanced around the room. “Miss Sparkle. Perhaps it’s best if we discussed this somewhere private. I feel someone may be watching us.”

“Fine,” Twilight said. “But we’ll be going to a private place of my choosing.”

“Fine, fine,” Silver shrugged. “If that makes you feel comfortable.”

“Spike,” Twilight turned to the dragon. “Rainbow Dash is waiting for you in the lobby.”

“I know,” He said. “I’ll meet up with her after we get Silver’s info.”

“I think it’s better if I talk to him alone.” She raised a hoof to stop Spike’s objection. “I can’t focus on you and him at once. Besides, you’re too angry with him to think calmly.”

Twilight led Silver out of the room, down the hallway, and out of sight.

“Great,” Said Spike with a sarcastic grumble. “Once again, they leave me out of everything.”

“Eh, I’m kind of used to it,” said Bulk. “I mean it’s not like I ever do all that much anyways.”

“Right.” Said Spike.

Bulk readjusted his icepack on his ribs. “So, what did Yellow mean by ‘the things they say about you?’ Who’s they?”

Spike sighed. “You want a list?”

“That could help.” Bulk gave a little nod with a short frown. “But I’m not Twilight, so I don’t necessarily need a point by point list, just keep it simple.”

“I meant that there’s too many to count. They’re all spouting nonsense that I poisoned the other teams or someone close to me was responsible,” Spike said. “No matter how many times I deny it a theory a new one takes its place. But if I ignored them, then their claims could be taken seriously. It’s a nightmare.”

“Hmm,” Bulk said, “That reminds me of when I was a colt. Ponies bullied me by spreading lies about me too. And my mom always said there’s always a sure fire way to beat people at that.”

“What’s that?”

“Well,” Bulk said, “Someone once said my wings were a birth defect and that I’d probably get sent to the ‘Rainbow Factory’ to make rainbows.”

Spike raised an eyebrow skeptically. “The what?”

“It’s just a bad story young pegasi used to scare each other into wetting the bed,” Bulk explained with nonchalance. “Anyways, my mom told me what to say back. ‘I did file an application, but they said they don’t want any white furred rainbows with birth defects. They would like some healthy pegasai like you, do you need an application?’ and that made other ponies laugh ... most of them anyway. A few started crying and some just ran away.”

Spike blinked. “I don’t get it. How does that help?”

“I don’t know,” Bulk admitted. “It’s just what my mom suggested to do when someone starts a bad rumor about you and it’s spreading everywhere. I don’t exactly know how it worked, but saying stuff like that made ponies turn to my side. I guess they liked it because it made them laugh? Maybe you’d like another example?”

“Okay.”

“Well, um,” Bulk said as he searched his memory. “One time somepony started a rumor that I was actually an earthpony and my wings would fall off, so I shouldn’t play with other pegasi. Whenever somepony said that to my face, my mom told me to say, ‘You got me, I’m actually a highly evolved parasprite.’ Stuff like that. The rumors kept going. But nopony took them seriously. And more ponies started hanging out with me than ever.”

Spike frowned as he mulled over what Bulk was saying. “I think I get it. If you make a joke about the rumor, it shows you don’t care about it.” He took a moment to consider the rumors against him. Could humor really beat them? Before he could ponder those thoughts, the doctor returned and ushered him back to the waiting room so Bulk could rest.

Spike gave Bulk a final glance. “Thanks. For everything, Bulk.”

Bulk tilted his head. “But I didn’t give you everything.”

Spike chuckled. A thought crossed his mind. “Hey, Bulk? All those times you said something goofy by taking things too literally, were some of those just you trying to make a joke? Were you just pulling our legs, pretending you didn’t get what we meant so you could make a pun?”

“Well, I guess you’ll never know,” Said Bulk. His red eyes squinted as a smirk spread across his face. With that, he sunk back down into his bed and closed his eyes. Spike left the room, reflecting on all his interactions with the beefy stallion wondering if all this time Bulk was toying with them. He frankly couldn’t tell.

Back in the waiting room, he found Rainbow Dash and the others. They all looked despondent, practically beaten. When Rainbow Dash saw Spike, she stood up straight and tried to smile. She didn’t want to be seen looking so hopeless, not in front of him. But he saw straight through her.

“Rainbow,” he said. “What do we need to get?”

“Huh?”

“What do we need to take first place?”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy exchanged glances. Applejack’s gaze fell to the ground. Rainbow Dash looked back at Spike and shook her head.

“It’s over,” Said Applejack. “We can’t.”

“Spike, listen.” Rainbow Dash said with a heavy voice. “With Bulk gone, we can’t compete in eleven events. That’s not including the seven events we didn’t sign up for. We’d need a miracle just place, much less win the Games.”

“Are you sure you can’t find a replacement for Bulk?” Asked Rarity. “Like Applejack?”

“Even if I did his stuff,” Applejack said, “Half of Bulk’s events are flight-based, like aerial shot put and aerial hammer toss. I’m kinda wingless.”

“Well,” Fluttershy piped up meekly. “We could use that spell that gave Rarity wings.”

“Hmm,” Rarity frowned and shook her head. “I fear those wings might be too fragile. If they couldn’t last in the sun, they might not last in the coliseum. Maybe Twilight could strengthen the spell?”

“Even if she could, that’s not the only problem.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “In my ‘infinite wisdom,’ I didn’t register anyone to sub if one of us got hurt. There was so much going on and I didn’t have time to think about it.” She snorted. “Some leader I am, huh?”

“It ain’t your fault,” Said Applejack putting a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “I haven’t even been training for Bulk’s events. So it’s not like I could just take his place.”

“Come on girls, stop this,” Spike said calmly. They all turned to look at him. “Instead of talking about what we can’t do, let’s just figure out what we can do.”

Seeing an opportunity to motivate the team, Rarity nodded. “You’re not beaten until you’ve given up. Applejack, you should focus on the events you will do, so you can give them your all. Rainbow Dash, you need to pick yourself back up and forge ahead. And Fluttershy, you have two events of your own. There are more than enough opportunities to turn this around.”

“She’s right.” Pinkie said with a bounce. “Think what Bulk would say.” For a moment, her poofy mane morphed into a flattop and her entire body inflated to match the stallion’s signature physique. “Yeah!!” Pinkie exclaimed with a rather impressive Bulk Biceps impersonation “Forge ahead! Let’s go to a smith and make some horseshoes!” She deflated back to her normal self, and cleared her throat, hoarse from that yelling. “We’d laugh, I’d chew Bulk out for trying to steal my role as the funny pony, Rainbow Dash would groan to hide the fact that she’s grinning, and we’d keep going.”

Almost instantly, Rainbow Dash found a smile on her face. Pinkie’s enthusiasm and Spike’s determination were equally contagious. But reality seemed to be against them. Still, Rainbow Dash felt a little better.

“So what do we need to win?” Spike asked again.

Rainbow Dash felt pessimism sinking back over her. When she learned Bulk couldn’t compete anymore, she obsessed over the final few contests, calculating any possible outcome where Ponyville won. There was one, but it seemed impossible.

“Well?” Spike said.

“Fluttershy, Applejack, and I can only afford one third or second place, not individually, but in total.” Explained Dash. “Everything else needs to be first place. Honestly, with Bulk out, our only chance is literally placing first in every event.”

Applejack nodded. “Well, do you think it’s possible?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s never been done before. But then again, stranger things have happened.”

“That’s a start,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sure even I could get at least one first place medal. I’ve been practicing hard for the 100 meter backstroke.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “I know you have. And I’m positive you could do it.”

“And we all know you can get a perfect score,” chimed in Pinkie. “I mean you’re Rainbow Dash! Ponies make records so you can break them.”

“You know it,” Said Rainbow Dash with a little sneer, a bit more confidence returning.

“I’ve got ten archery events left. There’s plenty of chance to take the lead. So…” Spike asked, “What do you need from me to win?”

She frowned. “Sure you want to hear it?”

Spike nodded. “Just tell me.”

Rainbow Dash paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Silver, Lightning, and Yellow could all tie with you for first place in any number of archery events, so there’s no room for error. Even if Fluttershy, AJ, and I get all first places, you need to place first in every single archery event. Including Ice Archery. A perfect score. That’s the only way we can win.”

His heart nearly dropped to the hopeless pit his stomach. “A perfect score?” He thought with disbelief. “That’s just not possible.” He wanted to pinch himself, maybe he could wake up from this nightmare. “Am I even good enough to win Ice Archery? Can I beat Lightning?” He couldn’t answer that question himself. The logical, thinking part of him knew he couldn’t do win ice archery, much less place first in every single event. His heart said otherwise. “Starlight, Bulk Biceps, Thunder Star.” He clenched his fists. “I won’t let your sacrifices be for nothing.” Spike realized he had been silent for almost half a minute, and Rainbow Dash was still waiting for his response.

“That’s it?” He said with a smirk. “And here I thought I’d have to pull a miracle.”

Rainbow Dash and the others looked at him for a moment. Spike kept up his brave face, hoping none of them suspected he was panicking deep inside. It seemed to work. They were now exchanging glances with new optimistic smiles.

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash said, grinning as she jumped off the bench. “Let’s go get our medals.”

River Drop entered the hospital, hoping to run into Spike. She wasn’t sure if he’d remember their television interview a few days ago, much less if he would even talk to a journalist. So many other “journalists” were busy slandering him. But she wanted to give him a chance to fight back, and speak directly to his critics. He deserved that much.

As she walked into the lobby with her camera stallion, she had the good fortune of catching Ponyville before they left the building. Spike waved at her and smiled, giving her a chance to approach him.

“Hey, can I help you again?” He asked.

“Do you have a moment for another interview?”

He glanced at Rainbow Dash. “What do you think?”

“You’ve got a little under an hour,” she said. “Plenty of time.”

He turned back to River Drop and nodded.

“If it’s alright, Spike,” she said slowly, “And I know this might be hard, but would you like to respond to some of the slander you’re facing?”

As she expected, that got a reaction. For a moment, Spike scowled. His eyes tightened, his fangs grinded. She was honestly worried he was about to lose his temper and lash out. But then, he took a deep, slow breath, exhaled, and put on a smile.

“Sure,” he said. “I don’t mind clearing the air.”

“Clearing the air?” Pinkie said, performing an impressive macho-stallion impersonation. “Does that mean climate change isn’t a hoax? Or do you mean you can wipe out flatulence in the air?”

River Drop blinked. Part of her felt like she should laugh at the joke, but she had no idea who Pinkie was imitating.

Spike waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about her, River Drop. It’s just an inside joke.” In a few minutes, they set up the camera and began their interview.

“Spike,” River Drop began. “A lot of ponies have been saying things about you. I thought it would only be fair to give you a chance to address these claims.”

“Sure thing.”

“Well, first off.” River Drop cleared her throat. “Some ponies claim that you poisoned the other competitors. Is this true?”

Spike folded his arms. River Drop half-expected an angry outburst and considered shutting off the camera to avoid embarrassing him. But then, Spike did something she didn’t expect: He chuckled.

“Really? They think I poisoned the other teammates?” His voice reeked with sarcasm as a smirk crossed his face. “I wonder how I did that? I don’t think I ever left the tent and I’m definitely not invisible.”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t?”

“Nope,” Said Spike. “I mean how could I? Do ponies think I like ninja-ed my way over and sprayed clouds of toxin into the other teams, in front of millions of watchers?” Spike shrugged, letting the ridiculous statement speak for itself. “I’ll have to ask my friends, but I don’t think I’m really all that sneaky.” He glanced to his teammates. “Hey, do you all think I’m sneaky?”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood there for a moment, surprised by Spike’s upbeat levity. But Pinkie seized on the opportunity to make a punchline.

“About as sneaky as corporations using TV to sell their toys,” She said, rolling her eyes. “Gotta add a new character every season to make new toys! It’s a never ending cycle!”

As Spike and Pinkie laughed together, Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack and Fluttershy, wondering if they knew why Spike was cracking jokes. Although they were both smiling, neither one said a word to Rainbow Dash. Rarity on the other hand, had a bright, clever smirk on her face. She knew exactly what Spike was up to.

“Secondly,” River Drop said, “Ponies claim Thorax poisoned the other teams.”

“From all the way up in his booth with Twilight and Ember? I mean, I don’t know about you, but I don’t see how he or any Changeling could get all the way down there, poison everypony, then get all the way back up without being seen. Kinda sad everypony’s suspecting him after he saved us from the second Changeling Invasion. Plus, I don’t think he ever left Twilight’s side, so,” he gave a little shrug. “Kind of hard to say it’s him.”

“Unless,” Rarity said with a dramatic flourish, “he split himself into four different changelings.”

River Drop glanced at Rarity. “What do you mean four?”

“Well, one to stay in the booth, one to poison the other teams, one to tell the royal guards not to report him, and one to ask everypony to pretend that they didn’t see him. Truly a flawless master plan.”

The journalist tried to hide her smile, as she quickly realized what was happening. This one-person interview was shaping up to be a team heckling. She was relieved that this hadn’t yet devolved into a shouting competition.

“So you’re saying it wasn’t his doing?” She asked.

“Look,” Spike took a slightly more serious tone, “He and all of his Changelings went through inspection and had their magic repressed like every other unicorn before even entering the coliseum. It’s not exactly easy for them to shapeshift if they don’t have magic. And keep in mind; it was Prince Blueblood’s staff that searched them for anything suspicious before they came in. If you won’t take my word for it, take theirs. Pretty sure they did their job.”

“Well of course,” Said Rarity. “Prince Blueblood hires only the best. Or at least, that’s what I’m told.”

“What about the claims that you’re a venomous dragon, Spike?” She didn’t have the slightest belief in this theory, but she was all too curious how they would tear this one apart.

“I guess it’s possible.” Spike said. “I never knew my parents, so for all I know they were a big grumpy dragon and a rattlesnake, or maybe a spitting cobra, or how about a black widow? Maybe she ate my dragon dad once she was done with him. That is a thing they do, right?”

“That is how they get the name,” Said Fluttershy with a nod.

“I thought so,” Spike said with a shrug. “It’d be kind of cool to be part spider. Though, it would be a bummer if my special somepony wrapped me up and ate me someday, but I guess you gotta take the good with the bad. To be honest, I have no idea how a spider and a dragon get together. Especially given the size difference. Maybe the spider was radioactive and the size of a skyscraper but I don’t know how they’d, you know, fall in love.”

“It probably involved a night with lots of apple cider,” suggested Applejack. “Strong apple cider. So strong that an eight-legged bug looked attractive to a four-legged dragon.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Is there any apple cider strong enough to do that?”

“I don’t think so,” Applejack said. “But then again, I can ask Granny Smith. Maybe she’s part black widow too.”

River Drop shook her head, trying to stay professional and not laugh. “Did Twilight help you win the Arrow Tag match?”

“Well, she did give me some tips for dealing with Silver’s teleportation.” Spike said, said, though continuing to be nonchalant about the whole matter. “Just the simple stuff. ‘Remember, Spike: Teleportation has limits and speed bumps, look for a chance to knock him on his rump.’ But that’s about all she did. It wouldn’t be very Princess of Friendship of her to help me cheat.”

“But,” the journalist frowned. “Didn’t she blackmail Prince Blueblood?”

He tilted his head. “I didn’t know inviting a friend to the Games was blackmail. Heck, Discord could’ve given everyone sweet chocolate milk rain, and cotton candy clouds. Inviting him seems more like a party than a threat. Unless you hate chocolate.”

“Or if you’re lactose intolerant,” Added Pinkie.

“But isn’t he dangerous?”

“Meh,” Spike said with a shrug. “He doesn’t misbehave when Fluttershy’s around. She’s his tea buddy.”

As the camera turned to her, Fluttershy reddened. Part of her wanted to hide her face behind her hooves, but she sensed this was the point where she was supposed to make a joke Only problem was she couldn’t really think of anything and was left sitting in silence. Thankfully Spike was able to quickly turn the crew’s attention back to him.

“Anyways,” he said, “He always joins me and Big Mac for guy’s night out. He’s a great Ogres and Oubliettes player. He actually likes to be an archer, just like me.”

River Drop was taken aback by Spike’s irreverence. It seemed like these accusations didn’t bother him in the slightest, like they weren’t even worth his time. Did he find them so ridiculous that they amused him? She supposed there was a strange sense of humor behind such wildly improbable slanders. A smile had crossed her face and she didn’t even know it. Spike’s humor was engaging, equal parts informative and entertaining. She wondered if that humor would remain even under the harshest accusations.

“Someponies say you’re a fraud,” she said. “That you don’t have any talent or skill.”

“Did they say that?” Spike shrugged. “Well then, I must be a fraud. After all, other ponies who don’t know me are always right.”

“Do you think your supporters meddled with Pro-Blueblood teams to eliminate the competition?”

“Not particularly. I mean, why meddle for a loser like me?” He shrugged. “I would have to be pretty stupid to sabotage the stallion spotting my own teammate.”

“And what about the claim that you staged your rescue with Yellow to make each other look admirable?”

“You got me. All this time I had a plan to rescue him from a random life-or-death situation so that ponies would like me,” Said Spike. “Look, Yellow Bolt’s told me more than once that we aren’t friends, so I wouldn’t exactly trust him to not shoot me when the time comes. And I certainly wouldn’t make a plan that puts me into a position where he could shoot me. I mean, I’m not that stupid. I hope.”

As the interview continued, ponies across Equestria watched Spike destroy theory after theory. Now, they knew all these theories were pointless, hilariously empty slander. Spike wouldn’t let them affect him, not now or ever.

Police HQ:

“Arrow Bolt?” Asked Twilight. “You mean Yellow Bolt’s father?”

Silver nodded. “He created a spell that could seal away a unicorn’s magic, but only for a minute at most.”

Twilight muttered something unintelligible, something between a “hmm” and a “interesting.” Levitating a quill, she wrote down a few notes on her clipboard. “Tell me,” she said, “Could he have taught somepony this spell?”

The elderly stallion shrugged. “Somepony gifted enough to learn it.”

“Somepony gifted enough to take first place medals for spellcasting in the Equestria Games?” Twilight suggested. “Like his son White Bolt?”

“Possibly. But like I said, even Arrow Bolt couldn’t make the spell last long. I don’t see how White Bolt could.”

“Years and years of practice most likely,” Twilight mumbled as she made more notes on her clipboard. “It’s easy enough to improve upon a spell with training, practice or even enhance it with dark magic. If a group of unicorns casted the spell all together, it could have more permanent effects.”

Silver noticed some of the equations Twilight was scribbling down, magic formulas, numbers, and values all beyond his comprehension. Scholars were a strange bunch to him. Why did someponies have to mathematize magic?

“Can you tell me something? What made Arrow Bolt the pony he is? Why does he hate dragons?”

“You heard of the Dragon Town Rampage?” Silver asked. Twilight shook her head, causing him to sigh. “Young ponies are so quick to forget history. I think it was almost fifty or so years ago. Back then, Dragon Town was in a sorry state, too many dragons and not enough gems or houses to go around. And, as I’m sure you’re aware, dragons have a tendency to become rather violent when they don’t get enough of what they want. Long story short, a few especially greedy dragons had one of their infamous growth spurts and rampaged all across the city. Oh, they got out of it eventually, but by the time the police showed up, the dragons fled, leaving everypony else to deal with the aftermath.” Silver paused for a moment, as his body started to tense and his teeth gnashed tightly together. “That was the last day we—that is Arrow and I— saw them alive.”

She frowned. “The last day you saw the dragons alive?”

“No.” Silver squeezed his eyes shut. “The last day Arrow and I saw our wives alive. And the last day we ever saw our parents.”

Twilight, while horrified at the revelation, sized him up. As his eyes opened, she realized he was fighting back his tears. His eyes gazed down at the table, into empty space. Old wounds had yet to heal.

“I’m sorry,” Said Twilight. “Truly sorry.”

He nodded. “Thank you.” A weak, ironic smile crossed his face. “My dad turned eighty that day. He was a pipefitter. The following week, he was going to retire with the money he saved up. Insisted that he wouldn’t take any of my money because he didn’t want to be a bother. He died on the job.” He sighed through his nostrils and shook his head. “As you can imagine, Arrow and I were devastated. We were also young, impulsive. We wanted justice.”

“That’s why you two founded that group, the Creed?”

“I suppose it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Silver said as he chuckled bitterly, “Besides, it wasn’t like we were the only ponies who were angry. It was almost funny how quickly we rounded up supporters.”

Twilight frowned. “I don’t recall reading this in any history textbooks.”

“After the tragedy, police raided Dragon Town looking for someone to blame. Some Dragon Town residents complained that they used unethical torture methods to get the names. And they imprisoned the alleged suspects before either of them could testify in court. When they finally did get their day in court, someponies felt like it was a kangaroo court, rigged against them to send them back to prison. Regardless, It was an unfortunate event that ended up in a series of lengthy lawsuits against the police for civil rights violations. Princess Celestia herself had to intervene. As you might imagine, this incident is an embarrassment that the Fillydelphia Police Force would rather the world forget.” He snorted. “I suppose it’s easier to forget our mistakes than to learn from them.”

“Easier, but not right.” Twilight said, writing down some more notes.

“Come to think of it,” Said Silver, “I think one of the dragons from the rampage had a son. After being locked up, his father never saw him again. Anyways, Dragon Town remembers the attacks all too well.”

“Do you know the son’s name?”

“Can’t say I do. I think it’s something starting with an ‘F.’ Flame, Fire, Flicker? Sorry, it’s been too long.”

Twilight nodded. “Now then, about that magic-sealing spell. How did Arrow Bolt learn it?”

“He said he made it up.” Silver explained with a little shrug. “Look, I don’t know that much about it. He was more of a bookworm than I ever was. I’m a businesspony. I can’t begin to wrap my head around such advanced spells.”

“Do you have access to any of his research notes?” Asked Twilight. “Perhaps he wrote the spell down somewhere and a way to reverse it.”

“I’m sorry but it’s not that simple. He burned them all.”

“Burned them?!” Twilight exclaimed with wide eyes. “Who would burn their own research before I could read it—err,” She paused as Silver looked at her with a raised eyebrow full of judgment. “I mean before other ponies could read it.”

“He didn’t want anypony to use his spell against him. He grew a little paranoid in his later years,” Silver said with a moment of reflection. “But anyways, he couldn’t have attacked your friend. He’s long gone.”

“But his sons and followers aren’t. I know Starlight was surrounded by a mob,” Said Twilight. “That would obscure a single spellcaster. They could easily cast the spell, and leave with the crowd without being spotted. And I know they were expecting me, their speaker made that abundantly clear. This was organized and strategically planned. They knew we were coming and they were ready with the spell. You understand where I’m going with this?”

Silver’s brow knitted together, into a sharp, hardened scowl. “You still think it was me?”

“Under the current circumstances, you’re the primary suspect. You have the means, the motive, and the opportunity. You could’ve learned Arrow’s spell and amplified it. You say you don’t have a head for magic, but if you can master teleportation, then there’s no reason you couldn’t eventually learn higher-level magic. Your story clearly shows you have the motives for wanting me out of the picture so Spike would have less protection. And you could easily teleport from across town back to the hotel within the minute, before anyone even knew you were gone. Care to explain what you were doing the night Starlight was attacked? We were all celebrating Lightning’s engagement to Fleetfoot. Where were you?”

He looked at her with flat, unimpressed eyes. “Miss Sparkle, you really don’t do many police interrogations do you? My grandkids are scarier than you. And they’re in diapers.”

She said nothing for a moment. Then, a slow, sick smile spread across her face. But it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’ve faced dragons, Nightmare Moon, magical beings with the power to destroy Equestria, and the literal Spirit of Chaos. All in the name of friendship.” She leaned forward. A small hum circled through the air around her. “Now, some very old acquaintances of yours have hospitalized my friends and threatened my friend Spike, who I’ve raised since he was a baby. If you’re covering for them, well, I’ll rain more destruction on your little life in two seconds than Discord could in a century. An eternity of night will seem merciful compared to the nightmare I could turn your life into with a simple word.”

He sighed, trying to cover up his apprehension. Silver didn’t want her to see that she was terrifying him. Her eyes seared with an intense expression, much like the one Spike wore in their Arrow Tag match. She wasn’t making empty threats.

“I’ve said this under testimony again and again.” Silver took a deep breath. “I did not set you up. My only advanced magic skills are in teleportation. Nothing else. Even if I memorized Arrow’s spellcasting notes, which I haven’t, I couldn’t perform the spell myself. If I tried to cast it, I’d deplete my magical energy completely and the spell wouldn’t even take effect. It would require tremendous amounts of magical energy, and I don’t have a head for that kind of magic.”

Twilight glared. “You still haven’t answered my question. Where were you the night Starlight was attacked?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“That’s not an acceptable answer.”

Silver’s face turned red. His eyes darted away, uncomfortably, as his hooves fidgeted on the tabletop. “If you must know, I’ve been struggling with dysentery all week.”

“Oh,” she said, suddenly regretting her constant probing. “Sorry I asked.” Learning more about Silver’s bodily functions than she ever wanted to know, Twilight found a line of nausea forming between her eyebrows. She leaned back into her chair and inspected her clipboard once again.

Silver had to respect her. For all her arrogance and presumptions, she was single-minded in protecting Spike. As a parent and a grandparent, he couldn’t help but admire her loyalty. Studying her, the alicorn who raised Spike, Silver realized he was looking at near mirror reflection of the little dragon. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree,” he thought. “Tough, persistent, loyal to a fault, idealistic, and gifted. He’s her in every little way. Well, almost. She’s smarter than him. But a little less clever.”

Twilight on the other hoof was still impressed she managed to regain her composure after Silver mocked her investigation. She was even more impressed by Silver’s calm exterior. Most stallions facing that kind of threat would wet themselves, but he barely even budged. Of course, she sensed he was far more terrified than he was letting on, but there wasn’t a trace of fear on his face. As much as she wanted to hate him, she had to surrender at least a kernel of admiration for him. She just hoped he wouldn’t go whining to Prince Blueblood. But even if he did, Twilight was sure she’d have enough evidence to incriminate the true culprit. All this talk, it was getting her somewhere. After a half-minute of scribbling furiously on her notepad, Twilight looked back up at Silver.

“I have a few more questions,” Said Twilight. “In the hospital, Yellow Bolt seemed concerned about Honey Charm. What’s their connection?”

Silver was confused. Why would she ask something like that? How did knowing that even help her? Still, he saw no danger in answering her question.

“They’re cousins,” he said. “I believe her parents took custody of Yellow Bolt when he turned fifteen. They grew up together.”

“I see,” Twilight said as she took another note. “Her invisibility spell, did she learn that in school or from her family?”

Now Silver realized what she was up to. She wanted to see if White Bolt or one of the brothers knew invisibility magic as well, and if they taught her. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine one of them could be sneaking around and sabotaging the teams, or even sneaking into Spike’s hotel room with some Creed members to commit vandalism. “Maybe she’s more clever than I thought,” he mused.

“Well,” Silver had to pause, take a moment to search his memory. “I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her when she wakes up. I imagine Baltimare has a magic school or two, but I couldn’t say how good they might be.”

“Any libraries with books on magic instruction?”

“Probably. But what kind of filly can learn such high-level magic from a book?”

Twilight wanted to argue that a hardworking filly with adequate guidance could indeed master such magic, even sufficiently enough to hatch a dragon’s egg like she did. But she knew better than to get off topic.

“Anyways,” he said. “Honey Charm is more of a partier than a reader. I suppose a family member could’ve taught her. I never bothered to ask.” He glanced at the clock, noticing how much time had passed. “Miss Sparkle, the Games will be continuing soon. We both need to return to the stadium.”

“Of course,” she said. “But I have last question. Something I’ll leave my Royal Guards to investigate.”

“And what might that be?”

Twilight looked Silver directly in the eyes and asked one final question, one that left incredible implications. “No,” Silver thought incredulously. “She can’t be serious.” Even as the world spun around him, he managed to answer her question with a name, the name of a stallion. One he saw just last week. As Twilight thanked him for his time and told him he could go, Silver found himself full of many more questions. He was about to leave, he was at the door, when he wondered how well he truly knew Arrow Bolt. And maybe, if Yellow Bolt wasn’t always the way he was.

“Miss Sparkle,” he said. “Spike talked with Yellow Bolt yesterday. I understand Yellow said something about Arrow Bolt that was less than flattering. Something I don’t know. Did Spike tell you what Yellow said?”

Twilight gave him sincere, frank answer. “No. Maybe you should try asking Yellow.”

White Bolt walked around the winding street, to the corner of a derelict building. Nopony came to this part of town anymore. So he didn’t bother with invisibility. He stepped down a corridor of stairs into a wide-open space trenched in darkness. A single flickering light hung over the room.

White Bolt sighed. “Remind me why we can’t afford decent lighting?”

“Because nobody’s supposed to be in this house, remember?” Replied a voice from the shadows. White Bolt turned as Crimson Bolt stepped out. A handsome smile plastered on his charming face. His red fur and dark-red mane were still beaming like flames, and his green eyes reflected a confident persona. Almost forty and he still looked twenty-eight. White Bolt almost felt like he’d been genetically cheated.

“Nice work with the poison,” said Crimson with a grin. “I saw the final half on TV and I can barely believe how well it turned out.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect it would get their weightlifter,” he agreed. “Looks like luck really does favor us.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Crimson said. “We’re the chosen ones, remember? History favors us.”

White Bolt nodded absentmindedly. “So how’d your job go?”

“Everypony’s in place for the final act. They’re ready to show the world who we are,” Said Crimson. “And then, my kids won’t have to grow up fearing another dragon attack on City Hall.”

“Right, your kids. Sometimes I forget you’re married.”

Crimson raised an eyebrow and gave an exaggerated offended look. “How could you forget? You were at my wedding.”

“I know, I just,” White Bolt gave a little shrug. “I never thought you’d actually settle down. Anyways, are they here?”

“No. It’s safer if they don’t know.”

“Hmm,” White Bolt judged Crimson skeptically. “I don’t see why you have to be so ashamed of rejoining the Creed.”

“The Royal Guards aren’t exactly kind to this group—I mean to our group.” Crimson shifted with a moment of discomfort. “Or anyone they think could still be a member.”

“Anyone they think could ‘Still be a member?’ Dodging around the elephant in the room doesn’t suit you.” White Bolt chuckled softly. “Just say it. You want to know how he’s been. Our little brother.”

Crimson Bolt’s eyes became nostalgic and misty. A pained smile spread across his face. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask how Yellow Bolt was coping after all these years, when a sharp pain jabbed through his throat. “We shouldn’t have—I shouldn’t have beaten him. I should’ve stood up for him, or convinced dad he was wrong. I-I…”

“We did what had to be done,” Said White Bolt. “But I should’ve kept a better watch over him too. Then maybe, he wouldn’t be so … broken. Maybe, he wouldn’t be the way he is. But, let’s not dwell on the past.”

“Huh,” Crimson snorted. “I thought that’s what this Creed thing was all about. Making sure nobody forgets.”

“Believe me, I haven’t,” White Bolt said. “I will never forget the day those dragons killed mom. Or the night we learned they turned Yellow.”

Silence crossed over them, mingling with the heavy darkness to form a palpable emptiness. They felt his absence after all these years, and they still missed Yellow Bolt.

“How is he?” Asked Crimson.

“Talented as an archer. But still broken. A crying, blubbering mess.”

Crimson sighed. “I guess there’s no getting over dad’s beatings.”

“He was broken long before then,” Said White Bolt. “What kind of stallion falls in love with a dragon? A male dragon at that? Still, I pity him. Truly, I do.”

“We can’t always control our desires,” Murmured Crimson Bolt. “Look at us. We desire a world where ponies don’t live in fear of dragons. And we’re both willing to do most anything to achieve those desires.”

White Bolt scowled, the dim light casting a menacing shadow across his twisted expression. His face sent a clear message to Crimson: “Don’t compare our vision to Yellow’s lust.” Crimson Bolt shrugged, dismissing White Bolt’s contempt.

“You know,” White Bolt said with a sneer, “Iron Bolt despises Yellow and dragons. If he had the chance, he’d destroy every dragon and make Yellow watch. He’d drive the evil right out of our brother faster than any lecture could.”

Crimson shuddered, pitying the poor soul who had to face that monster. Iron Bolt didn’t know many words, in fact he seldom spoke, but he could convince anyone to do anything he wanted. That is if he didn’t break them first.

“So,” White Bolt said, “I wouldn’t go defending Yellow in front of him. Believe me. You don’t want to.”

It was ironic that despite their own prejudices, there were times they were both more terrified of their own brother than any monster. Crimson and White had to love Iron Bolt; he was their own brother after all and they shared many memories, but they had to live knowing that if Iron ever lost his temper or fell one of his infamous “moods,” someone would get hurt. That savagery undoubtedly came from Iron Bolt’s decade in the Creed, being the backbone of their small army. While White Bolt went on to study magic and Crimson started a family, Iron remained in the Creed mob. Crimson was glad he took a break from the Creed when he did. Otherwise, he might have ended up like his brother.

“So then,” Said Crimson. “Where’s Iron Bolt anyways?”

“Dealing with ‘Princess’ Twilight’s Spirit of Chaos attack dog.”

“How does he plan to beat him? Is he taking somepony hostage? Like that shy pegasus?”

“Unlikely. She’s in front of millions of ponies. Not exactly easy to kidnap and hold hostage.” White Bolt shook his head. “I think she would’ve been an ideal hostage, but Iron Bolt could’ve snapped her in two by accident.”

Crimson cleared his throat, uncomfortable at the thought of that pretty little mare breaking like a twig.

“Besides, we couldn’t abduct anyone without giving ourselves away. Everypony’s eyes are on the Games. No one will notice someone like the Spirit of Chaos disappearing, not while they’re concentrated on what’s directly in front of them. So instead, Iron Bolt’s directly confronting Twilight’s dog.”

“What?” Crimson’s eyes widened as panic grew in his heart. “He can’t possibly beat Dis—I mean that thing.”

“Calm down,” White Bolt said. “Once his magic’s sealed, that monster will be helpless. Then Iron Bolt will have his fun.”

“But…”

“Fortune favors us,” Said White Bolt. “And we have a legend on our side.”

At that moment, the door slammed open. In the doorframe at the top of the stairs, Iron Bolt’s figure stood, carrying something long and snake-like over his shoulders. Iron chucked the snake-thing down the stairs, sending it bumping over the steps. It fell into a heap on the floor and remained motionless, groaning with pain. Iron Bolt held the door open, to let a fourth figure slide past, before shutting the door behind them. Crimson took a closer look at their guest and whistled.

“The Spirit of Chaos himself?” He said. “I’m impressed. I knew the spell was powerful but I didn’t know it was this powerful.”

White Bolt levitated several ropes out from the darkness, plucked the unconscious Discord from the ground, and fastened him to a post. Through the darkness, they could discern the outline of this beaten creature but not an inch of his face. For once, White Bolt was grateful for the dim light. If he saw Iron Bolt’s work on Discord in its full splendor, he imagined the sight would haunt him for years. Crimson Bolt did his best not to look in Discord’s direction. His imagination was already running wild painting horrific images of the beaten thing.

“I guess they’ll be too busy with the Games to even think about him,” Said Crimson nodding at Discord. “So, what’s our next move? ”

“We wait,” Said a figure in the shadows. “For the tiebreaker. Then, we show the world that Sir Knight has returned to hold the guilty responsible.”

Chapter 18 Persist

Rainbow Dash was perplexed when Twilight appeared in the locker room just ten minutes before the Games started, and all but demanded they speak alone. Not seeing reason to argue, Rainbow followed Twilight into a corner of the room, away from Spike, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Alone, the lavender alicorn turned to Rainbow with a grim expression.

“I’ve lost contact with Discord,” Said Twilight. “I’m not sure where he is and he won’t respond to my summons. I’m afraid he may have been ambushed by the Creed and kidnapped.”

Under different circumstances, Rainbow Dash would have laughed at Twilight’s worries, telling her that the Spirit of Chaos wasn’t exactly easy to kidnap. But after Starlight and Bulk Biceps were both injured, losing Discord didn’t seem so implausible anymore. Besides, after Tirek and Chrysalis, Discord was shown to not be nearly as invincible as they had once believed.

“Shouldn’t we tell the others? I mean Fluttershy at least ought to know,” said Rainbow, taking a quick glance at her fellow pegasus.

Twilight shook her head. “They need to focus on the Games. I’m worried they won’t be able to perform at their best if they’re worrying about Discord on top of Starlight and Bulk Biceps.”

“You can’t be serious. Discord’s our friend.”

“I don’t like it either, but I just don’t see any other option. Besides, I could be wrong and Discord might just be keeping silent to pull some kind of prank. In that case, telling the others would make them worry about him for nothing.”

Rainbow Dash sighed but nodded slowly. Fluttershy already had a hard enough time competing with her usual stage fright, her worrying about Discord would almost guarantee defeat. “Why are you telling me then?”

“Because I need at least one pony to be ready. I have a feeling things are going to get more … dangerous, very soon. If the Creed show up, there’s a chance that I could lose my magic too or even be overpowered.”

“You really think it could come to that?”

“They got Starlight and possibly Discord. It’s no stretch to say they would go after me too. If they do, I need you to protect Spike. Understand?”

“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said without blinking or breaking eye contact. “Spike is my teammate, my friend, and my brother. I won’t let anyone hurt him if I can help it. But if they get you and then they get me, he’ll have to fight on his own.”

“I know,” Twilight said to Rainbow Dash’s surprise. She didn’t expect Twilight to approve of potentially jeopardizing Spike. As she studied Twilight skeptically, the alicorn smiled. “As much as I wish it didn’t have to be him, I think it’s the only way. I have a plan to lure out the Creed behind it all, but I don’t have a way to beat something that can seal magic. But it’s more than that. If we want to show the world that love is stronger than hate, he’s the one who has to beat the Creed.”

Rainbow Dash was silent, unsure of what to say. Then, she smiled back and nodded. “He’ll have our support every step of the way. Mine, yours, Ponyville’s, Ember’s, Thorax’s, Lightning’s, and everypony else’s. I know it.”

Twilight gave a short, little chuckle. “Funny, isn’t it? For all my powers, I won’t be able to help if they get me. I’ve put spells on him to make him tougher, but even those can be broken. I’m sending my little Spike out there on his own. I’m terrified, but at the same time, I believe in him. Just like always.”

A horn blared and the stadium full of fans began to pour through the concrete walls.

“I have to get going,” Said Twilight. “Get out there and win it.”

As Spike stepped out into the center of the stadium once again bow and quiver in hand, he noticed some archers, casting him odd glances. Honestly, he didn’t know what they thought about him anymore. Sure, the crowd still greeted him with a warm reception, but it was a far cry from the deafening, roaring applause he received from his first entrance. He didn’t think too long about it however, instead taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, and focusing on the greater task at hand: shoot down as many disks as possible within the minute.

Every other archer took their place at the line, with the disk-shooting machines rolled up behind them. A few archers glanced back to look at the machines, but not the four highest scoring archers. Lightning and Silver knew what to expect; they’d done this many times, so there was no point in looking back at the machines, their minds preoccupied with other concerns. A few years ago, Lightning beat Silver in this contest. Neither one of them knew how this match could end. Yellow Bolt meanwhile, was obsessively grinding his teeth. He wanted to beat Spike. Whether this desire came from a healthy competitive spirit or sheer animosity, he couldn’t say. Spike all the while kept his eyes closed. His mind was focused solely on reaching that perfect instinctive state, where he could fire arrows into his targets without even thinking, a place of dreams translated into action.

A whistle shrieked. His eyes flashed open as his hand pulled three arrows from his quiver and sent all three into the first emerging discs. He fired before anyone else, but didn’t even stop to admire his speed. He was already pulling five more arrows from the quiver and shooting down discs. Nothing else existed around him. Not his friends cheering, not the dozens of clouds covering the sky, not his score, not even his own thoughts. He couldn’t even fathom a world outside his sphere of reality. He moved as if in a trance; determined, unstoppable, body and soul devoted to every little action. Like a painter lost in the stroke of a paintbrush, the bow and arrows soaked up his entire being.

Another whistle shriek. Game over. Spike blinked as everything came to an abrupt screeching halt. Thought returned to his head. He felt like he just woke up from a vivid dream. The loud sound of the crowd cheering brought him back into existence. Then came sight. A mound of discs marred by arrows lay across the field. He stared at the palm of his open hand. He made a fist, opening and closing his fingers. His sense of touch returned. He glanced up at the scoreboard.

Fourth Place: Lightning Star; 54 discs. Third Place: Silver Shine: 55 discs. Second Place: Yellow Bolt; 56 discs. First Place: Spike; 70 discs.

He stared at the score with dull acceptance. His mind was still locked in that state of hyper-awareness that he needed a moment to recognize what this score meant. It seemed so unreal. Had he actually outperformed Lightning, Yellow, and Silver? Even as the stadium applauded him, he couldn’t help wondering if he was still dreaming.

“Spike!” He turned and saw Rainbow Dash grinning from the sidelines. With that smile, it all became real to him. He was not dreaming; he won. Still, he didn’t feel too much pride or excitement. Just peaceful calm that stretched through his entire being. He didn’t make any grand gestures to celebrate his victory; just a content nod to the other archers. That calm he felt through his core lingered as he walked back to his team tent and sat down on the bench, surrounded by his friends.

“We’re going to win this,” Said Spike. They all believed it too.

“Say, Starlight?” Trixie asked the beginning of a question. “Where did you say those ponies ambushed you? The ones who put you in here?”

Starlight blinked, confused by the question. “Where did this come from all of a sudden?”

“Just curious.”

“Um, well, it was by an old Sir Knight of Trottingham statue,” Starlight explained between the events unfolding on TV. “Why?”

“I don’t know, just a thought,” said Trixie. “It’s a little strange that they met there and there have been all these ponies passing out Sir Knight pamphlets at the train station.”

Thunder Star shrugged. “Maybe they’re connected?”

“If they were,” Trixie’s eyes narrowed into a scowl, “then Trixie regrets not throttling those pamphlet-pushing ponies for hurting Starlight.”

“Just because they were handing out Sir Knight pamphlets doesn’t mean they were with the Creed,” Starlight asserted quickly, though she briefly pondered what Trixie had brought up. “What was in the pamphlets anyways?”

“Something about Sir Knight returning to Equestria,” Said Trixie. “And I don’t know, restoring peace or something?”

Thunder Star snorted and rolled her eyes. ““That’s not how Legends work. They basically give us the means to fix our own problems and it’s up to us to do so, not wait for somepony to come by and fix it for us.”

“I know,” Starlight said, still mulling over the potential connection. “Still, wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just come along and fix everything wrong in the world.”

“Yeah, but life doesn’t work like that. Heroes can inspire us and give us hope, but we have to pick up the pieces and keep moving when our lives go wrong.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie assumes you’re speaking from personal experience.”

“Basically.”

“Grit is an important part of success,” Said Trixie. “It makes one willing to take on new challenges as they arise and see any crisis as an opportunity to learn and develop. One must learn to measure their success based on effort to avoid developing a defeatist attitude.”

“More child psychology?” Asked Thunder Star.

“Yes,” Trixie nodded, with a little pride on her face. “But it’s also just logical. The Great and Powerful Trixie admires how even though Spike is your inspiration, you’re mature enough to recognize his example is only meaningful if you pick yourself back up.”

Thunder Star smiled at Trixie with deep appreciation. On the TV, Fluttershy just finished the 100 meter dolphin kick in first place. An impressive showing for the usually withdrawn pegasus. As the athletes swapped on the field for the next event, Starlight found herself imaging how Ponyville athletes received Fluttershy returning to the tent. No doubt Rainbow Dash would tell her “great job” and try to reassure her that she did Ponyville proud. Applejack would pat her on the shoulder and say some sort of country-ism, probably making a comparison to apple farming. And Spike would just smile and tell her they were one step closer to victory. Starlight smiled at the thought. Ever since he took up archery, he seemed to find a way to inspire others. “Then again,” thought Starlight, “I guess he’s always been kind of an inspiration. Like to the Crystal Empire ponies and Thunder Star.”

“Hey,” Said Starlight without thinking, “Wouldn’t it be funny if Spike was Sir Knight?”

Trixie and Thunder Star frowned, perplexed by the random question.

“What do you mean?” Asked Trixie.

“Think about it. The Creed want a hero who will destroy all dragons in Equestria, but what if Sir Knight came back as a dragon? That would certainly put a dent in their agenda.”

Trixie nodded, following her friend’s logic. “That would indeed be quite ironic. Of course, they would obviously refuse to recognize Spike as their hero. If Sir Knight did return, why return as a dragon?”

“Well, maybe he would want to unite dragons and ponies,” Said Thunder Star, “and get us to stop hating each other. I’m no believer, but,” she smiled amused at the thought, “I think I could tolerate that kind of Sir Knight.”

“Hmm,” The blue unicorn touched her chin and nodded thoughtfully. “Trixie admits the idea is most attractive.”

“I mean all the pieces fit, right?” Said Starlight. “Spike’s a great archer like Sir Knight. He split an arrow in half, caught an arrow in midair, held his own against Lightning Star after a few months of training, and beat Silver Shine in Arrow Tag.”

“He’s definitely skilled,” Thunder Star nodded.

As another idea came into her head, Starlight’s smile widened. “And let’s not forget: he brings different species together. This has to be the first Equestria Games where this many minotaurs, changelings, and dragons showed up. They’re all drawn to him for a greater purpose, like Sir Knight’s followers.”

“And he inspires,” Said Thunder Star. “Everypony in the Crystal Empire looks up to him. He saved us from Sombra after all. He was a hero long before he took up archery, just like Sir Knight.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie notices that Spike occupies an interesting space, physically being a dragon but having been raised by ponies, that could allow to serve as an effective mediator between our species. If Trixie recalls correctly, Sir Knight spent his childhood with donkeys, which allowed him to serve as a bridge between ponies and donkeykind.”

“Good point,” Starlight said. “I didn’t even think about that. How’d you figure out that?”

Trixie shrugged. “The Great and Powerful Trixie took a freshman first year semester course in Ambassadorship and what makes a good mediator, where she studied real-life and fictional ambassadors. For her final, she wrote an essay arguing that many great ambassadors have childhood experiences with multiple cultures and upbringings, giving them multifaceted perspectives and greater empathy.”

“Right,” Starlight once again stunned by Trixie’s ever expanding areas of skill.

Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Trixie had such well-articulated thoughts on politics. She was mostly surprised that she was no longer surprised by her friend’s knowledge. She was also impressed how Trixie said all of this as matter-of-fact without any boasting, as though her education was nothing worth lauding over.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie also finds it remarkable how well Sir Knight’s final words could fit Spike.”

“Really?” Said Thunder Star with genuine interest. “How so?”

“In his final moments, Sir Knight said, ‘This world grows tired of me. Keep the spark of hope alive. For in time, I will return to this realm to undo the harm caused by those who would upset the peace. Perhaps not in this lifetime, but in another. Perhaps not in this body, but in another. Should the world need me, I will return with a mighty army to set things right.’ Trixie knows this is word-for-word what he said because Trixie studied literary analysis.”

“Why didn’t you go into that field?” Asked Thunder Star with mild curiosity.

“Trixie didn’t know what to do with that kind of major. Sadly, English Majors always seem to end up in the education field, and Trixie didn’t want to deal with some other pony’s brats every single day. Her mane would prematurely grey from all the stress.”

“But your mane is already naturally grey,” Said Starlight.

The blue unicorn was silent for a moment, unsure how to respond. At last she shrugged. “Trixie didn’t want her hair to become any greyer.” She frowned a moment, and narrowed her eyes in thought. “Wait a minute. ‘Greyer?’ Is that even a word?” She murmured to herself. “Would it be ‘more grey?’ I studied literature I should know this.” Deciding the word wasn’t worth the effort to think over, she waved away the thought with a dismissive shrug. “Whatever. There were other reasons I never explored literary analysis. Too many professors wanted to read the Oedipal complex into literature. Just nasty. It seemed to shock them if a student dare suggest that the son actually doesn’t feel a subconscious sexual attraction for his—.”

“Trixie,” Starlight chided. “There is a child present.”

“Sorry. Trixie never studied etiquette.”

“Maybe you should have,” mumbled Thunder under her breath, with a humorous twinkle in her eyes, rather than a mean-spirited glare.

“Be nice,” Starlight replied in a soft voice.

“As Trixie was saying, Sir Knight’s final words fit Spike quite well.“ Trixie continued unaware of the little exchange that occurred between her friends. “Sir Knight said he might not come back in his pony body, but in another.”

“Like a dragon’s body?” Said Thunder Star.

“Exactly.” Trixie nodded at the bedridden filly. “And he says he’ll return to undo harm caused by those who would upset the peace. The Creed certainly represent a danger to peace, and Spike represents many dragons struggling with such prejudice. And as for an army, Spike is friends with King Thorax, Dragon Lord Ember, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Discord, and the Elements of Harmony. Not to mention, he has the support of the Crystal Empire and their greatest archer as well as Griffonstone and the Minotaurs. And goodness knows how many more allies he’ll have behind him when he wins the Games.”

“Wow. You know, I’m really starting to like this little theory,” Thunder Star said with a laugh. “Maybe we should publish pamphlets about it.”

“When I get my magic back, I could mass-duplicate the pamphlets,” Starlight smiled, brightened by the idea. “It could be our little thing.”

Trixie smiled after she hear Starlight say, “When I get my magic back,” happy that her friend was still optimistic. Just talking about Spike and Sir Knight seemed to fill her with life and hope.

“Perhaps we could do an interview for that TV pony who keeps interviewing Spike,” Trixie said. “Trixie believes she was in the hospital earlier, doing that interview where Spike kept cracking jokes.”

A few patients, doctors, and nurses listened to the Sir Knight theory with mild interest. Most of Baltimare was all too familiar with the extremists pushing a dragon-intolerant Sir Knight. A peaceful alternative Sir Knight was certainly appealing. As the nurses and doctors went on break or went home, many of them would share this story with their families. Rumors like these had a way of spreading like wildfire. But for now, they all went about their work, content at the thought of a Sir Knight who disavowed the Creed. The conversation between Trixie, Starlight, and Thunder Star ended abruptly as the TV became blurred with static. Thunder Star groaned and managed to wave down a nurse.

“I’m sorry,” Said the nurse. “We’re doing the best we can. Most repair ponies are out watching the Games, so they might not be available for some time. You can still listen to a radio broadcast though.” With that, she placed a radio on the counter between Starlight and Thunder Star’s bedside and left.

“Well, that’s annoying,” Said Thunder Star as she fiddled with the knobs which seemed in danger of falling right off the radio.

“Perhaps I could help,” Said Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has a minor in electrical engineering. With a proper toolbox and wiring kit, I could adjust the signal output and fix the TV.” With that, Trixie went to ask a nurse for tools.

Both Starlight and Thunder just stared at each other.

“So, feel like taking bets on what she hasn’t studied in some capacity?” Starlight asked, completely serious.

“At this point, I think no matter what we guess she’s studied it in someway.” Thunder spoke matter of factly, leaving the two to sit and wait for the magician to return.

Within minutes, she was back with a toolbox, fiddling with the TV. After a brief five minutes taking it apart, fixing some wires, and putting it back together again, she gave it a good whack with her forehoof. Just like that, the Games were back on.

“Wow, Trixie,” Said Starlight. “I never knew you were so handy.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is always handy,” she said proudly. “She has many fields of knowledge that provide immense benefit to society.”

The TV gave them reason to smile. Ponyville had won four more gold medals, giving them a total of fourteen medals. They were still behind Fillydelphia Team A’s twenty-one medals and Team B’s fifteen. Thirty-four more events to go, and with Bulk out, Ponyville could only compete in seventeen more events. But the trio felt optimistic, especially as Spike took to the field for the next archery event.

“Skydiving Archery,” Said the announcer. “Each archer will attempt to hit bull’s-eye on as many of the thirty floating targets as they can while free falling from twenty miles in the air. No spells to course correct arrows or teleportation allowed. Their time to shoot ends once they either pull their parachute or reach the three mile mark where their parachute activates automatically.”

After each archer received an enchanted quiver, skydiving goggles, and a parachute, the scoreboard cycled through their names, coming to rest on a Las Pegasus archer. The referees teleported the archer to a cloud high in the sky and set the targets floating in the air. Each target was stationary in the air, spaced a few feet apart, and lined in columns so they were in front of the archer as they fell. Spike kept his mind away from the competition even as it unfolded before him. He had to focus on how he would perform. Soon, the first archer came down, managing to hit bull’s-eyes on only three targets. The monitor selected the next archer and the process repeated. After five archers went through the event, Spike noticed a pattern. This contest seemed unusual and difficult for ponies, who wore expressions of apprehension before leaping off the cloud. Spike surmised fear of heights disturbed their concentration and the fear of falling crippled their performances. Even Silver Shine looked uncomfortable with the concept of jumping off a cloud, as he swallowed before taking his turn. He pulled his parachute early after hitting seven targets. On the ground, he was panting, struggling to calm himself back down.

“I get it now,” Spike thought as he watched Silver Shine taking deep breaths. “This is hard because there’s so much to keep in mind. Every archer besides me is a unicorn, so they don’t have experience with free falling like pegasi. So, they panic, miss targets, and give up too soon. Then you have to hit as many targets as possible, accounting for velocity, rate of falling, and wind. You have to remember your training, even as you’re falling faster and faster.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This is a battle of concentration, of pure instinct. If I’m going to win this, I need to forget that I’m falling and just act.”

Lightning and Yellow tied with nine bull’s-eyes, but even they had to pull the parachute early, cutting their airtime short. “They’re not used to falling through air,” Spike thought. “Hopefully, all my times nearly falling to my demise will make this at least tolerable.” He rubbed his forehead and chuckled. “Life and death situations can teach you something. Who knew?”

When his name was called, Spike headed to the referee and let them teleport him onto the cloud. Wind billowed across his scales, chilling him to teeth chattering. He pulled down his goggles and bounced a little in place, trying to get blood into his muscles. “It’s just weather,” he reminded himself. “I’ve been in the frozen north. I can take this.” Another referee, a pegasus, standing on top the cloud and reminded Spike of the rules.

“And don’t draw your first arrow until you jump,” Said the pegasus. “Got it?” Spike nodded. “Good luck. You can go whenever you’re ready.”

He turned to the edge of the cloud and studied the target layout once again. From up here, all the ponies on the ground looked like ants, and their voices were barely audible under the blowing wind. Sweat trickled across his neck and his palm grew moist. Even after all his mental preparation, he was nervous. “Trust the parachute,” he told himself. “It will catch me when it’s ready.” A skeptical part of him resisted the comforting impulse. “What if it doesn’t? What if you fall smack to the ground?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Even if it fails, Twilight or Rainbow Dash will catch me. I can trust them.” That thought was all the comfort he needed to reach that perfect, peaceful state of mind.

He opened his eyes and took a running leap off the cloud. Before he even began to fall, his hand pulled three arrows from the quiver and fired them, one, two, three, but by the time they left his bow, he had another six arrows in his claws. He didn’t have a second to check if he hit his targets, so he launched another volley at the next cluster of targets. He kept repeating the movements, which had grown almost as instinctive as breathing. Of course, he still questioned whether he was he doing well. He couldn’t tell when he was falling so fast and focused on moving. He didn’t give himself a second to think.

The parachute opened, cutting through Spike’s concentration as it jerked back, halting his momentum. He tried to look up at the targets, but his parachute obscured everything above him. As he descended to the ground, he heard hearty applause roaring over the wind. Spike hoped that was a good sign.

When he landed and extricated himself from the parachute, he took off his goggles, looked not at the monitor for his score but at his teammates. They were all stomping their hooves for him and cheering. Reassured by their enthusiasm, he finally looked at the scoreboard. He hit all thirty targets and scored twenty bull’s-eyes. The other archers looked at him with awe and envy. They couldn’t possibly hope to bridge this gap. Once again, the audience cheered for him with all the enthusiasm they had at the start of the Games. Spike looked up into the stands where Twilight sat beside Thorax and Ember. When he saw her proud smile, his victory became real to him. He simply gave a small bow, returned his goggles and quiver to a referee, and went back to his team’s tent.

As the spectators applauded, many now looked at him with approval. New rumors about him were spreading through the crowd. “They say he’s an absolute natural with a bow. Like it comes to him without thinking. “I heard he studied archery as a child from Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard.” “They say he learned to grab an arrow from air after a single night of practice.” “I had a cousin in Ponyville. She says he split an arrow in half with another arrow. That he was one point away from beating Lightning Star in an archery contest. Someponies called him “Dragon Ace,’ because he always hit bull’s-eye.”

“He’s good enough to be Sir Knight,” said one voice. And then another: “I thought those pamphlets about Sir Knight returning were nonsense, but maybe I was wrong. Sure looks like Sir Knight to me.” “Sir Knight as a dragon? Please.” “Why not? Sir Knight never said he couldn’t come back as a dragon.” “Twilight hatched him with her magic. There’s nothing Sir Knight about that.” “But think about it. They both grew up with a different species. Plus, Twilight was a future bearer of an element of harmony and the future princess of friendship. Wouldn’t it make sense if her magic gave us another Sir Knight?” “I don’t care who he is, but next year, I want more dragons in the Games. If just one of them can be this good, imagine how exciting it would be to get more dragons involved.” “I concur. Maybe Dragon Lord Ember could get some of her dragons to participate.” “Fillydelphia has dragons in Dragon Town. Why not register some of them?”

Not everyone was excited about these talks. A few spectators actually started leaving the stadium, while others were simply stewing in their own angered silence. Others were waiting for the moment the true Sir Knight would arrive and destroy this pretender. But some wanted to speak with the Bolt who promised them Sir Knight was on their side.

Crimson Bolt went into the abandoned house once again. He already checked with the Creed living in his temporary house to make sure that they would stand by him when the time came. Now, he was just double-checking. It was unnecessary, but he honestly didn’t want to be in that room with a tortured Discord and Iron Bolt for another hour.

As he knocked on the door, he overheard angered voices. All at once, two stallions appeared at the open door and pulled Crimson inside. He slapped away their hooves and snorted.

“A simple ‘Please come in’ would do,” he said.

“Where is Sir Knight?” Growled the taller of the two stallions. “We want to see him.”

“Sir Knight will reveal himself to his chosen followers when we seek justice,” said Crimson Bolt in a smooth, honeyed voice. His eloquence was always unfailing and persuasive, which served him well in winning the hearts of many. But these two seemed less than won over.

“Are you sure you have the right Sir Knight?”

Crimson normally wore a crowd-pleasing smile across his face, but for the first time all day, his smile dipped into a neutral expression.

“Are you questioning the return of Sir Knight? When his body failed, he sent his spirit out. After a century, his spirit returned into a vessel. Now, that vessel stands with us—”

“Yes, we know, it all sounds very interesting,” Said the shorter stallion with a dismissive wave of the hoof. “But are you sure he’s the one?”

“Could any other being defeat the powerful Starlight Glimmer?” asked Crimson. Both stallions had to acknowledge the feats as impressive even though neither of them had witnessed the pony in action. But even as they conceded with a shrug and a nod, both of them remained skeptical. “Why, earlier today Sir Knight took down the Spirit of Chaos.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. His righteous arrows overcame the power of chaos itself. What more proof do you need?”

“Well, we’d like to see him.”

“Of course you may see the beaten Discord—”

“No, not him. Sir Knight. We want to see him. To know he’s real.”

“Why do you now doubt?” Asked Crimson. “Now, when we are so close to victory?”

The two stallions shuffled, uneasily.

“Well, someponies have been saying,” said one stallion apprehensively, “That is not us, but some other ponies have said that…” His voice trailed off, as his face twisted into one of pure disgust and then apprehension. “They say that, thing they call Spike is the true Sir Knight.”

Crimson Bolt’s neutral expression dipped into a frown. Not only did he find the idea reprehensible, he realized this rumor could undo their carefully laid plans. If that upstart became Sir Knight in the eyes of the public, then they wouldn’t believe in the Sir Knight leading the Creed. This rumor had to end now before it grew any further. He shook his head and sighed through his nostrils, indicating his displeasure at the statement.

“Erase that filthy garbage from your thoughts,” Crimson growled. “Sir Knight would never return as a dragon.”

“Then how come he’s so good at archery? How’d he beat Silver Shine in Arrow Tag?”

Crimson scoffed. “He couldn’t score more than two gold medals in the first half. His luck against Silver was a fluke.” None of the other Creed knew about White Bolt’s sabotage, so it certainly seemed like his victory against Silver was just dumb luck.”

“But it’s more than archery. He has an army of followers with the changelings, dragons, the elements of harmony, and the four princesses. He was even hatched and raised by one of those princesses, so he’s like a pony and a dragon.”

“Did other dragons spread that rumor? Is it really this easy to make you doubt?” Crimson sighed. “Can you even explain why Sir Knight would return as a dragon?”

“Ponies say it’s because he’s going to unite ponies and dragons. And frankly, he’s already doing it. You just have to take a look at the audience in the Equestria Games. So, what has your Sir Knight done?”

Crimson thought quickly, trying to find some way to discredit Spike.

“When you see the true Sir Knight,” Crimson said without any outward sign of insincerity, “You will no longer doubt. His skills eclipse all others.”

“But we haven’t seen him,” Said one stallion. “Are we just supposed to take your word for it? We want proof.”

“Do you speak for all the Creed?”

“Yes, we do. We’ve spoken to others and they all agree.”

Crimson fought back a growl as he worked to maintain his composure.

“Very well. You will have your proof. When Sir Knight leads his chosen against the dragon rabble.”

“And then he will destroy the lizard? To prove he’s the real deal?”

Crimson shrugged. “He’ll destroy whatever archer who comes in first, if need be. Any archer that does not recognize our might will be broken. But that dragon can’t possibly bring his team to victory. Don’t forget, Prince Blueblood shares our beliefs. And soon, the world will understand we are the future.”

That seemed to satisfy the two stallions, though they still had doubts about the so-called leader Crimson kept propping up. Crimson left the building and took a turn around the corner. Alone at last, he released a massive breath he’d been holding and fell to his rump.

“Tartarus,” he cursed. “How’d it come to this?”

He talked a big game, but Crimson had to rely almost entirely on lies and half-truths. He couldn’t explain away Spike’s victory against Silver Shine much less his recent successes. He couldn’t even crush the rumors that Spike was the true Sir Knight. And their Sir Knight only planned to capture the dragon responsible for the Fillydelphia attacks, not fight Spike or the other archers. They didn’t beat Starlight or Discord in a fair fight; they ambushed them both, sealed their magic, and then let Iron Bolt do his work. And as for Prince Blueblood, Crimson had never even met Prince Blueblood. None of them had. Even if the prince’s words and actions aligned with the Creed’s goals, they didn’t know what he’d do once they revealed themselves, or if their plan would be too extreme even for him.

This whole plan was based on so many uncertainties. But they’d come this far, so this had to be fate. At least, Crimson hoped so. He didn’t want his children to live in a world where dragons could go crazy at any second and destroy them all. He couldn’t lose them like he lost his mom. The memory of her funeral was all too vivid and painful. No one else should have to suffer such loss. And if everything went well and nopony was severely injured, then their plan would pay off and dragons could never hurt ponies or break apart their families again.

After steeling his heart, Crimson stalked away, back to the base. He would have to tell his brothers and Sir Knight that the Creed wanted proof that their Sir Knight was the genuine article, and not Spike or any other archer. His brothers and Sir Knight would have little reservation beating Silver Shine if he won the Games and refused to join them; he abandoned the group a long time ago. But if Spike won, Crimson knew Sir Knight and Iron Bolt would be absolutely giddy in destroying him. He couldn’t care less about Lightning Star. He was fine with any of these outcomes.

“But what if it’s Yellow Bolt?” The thought stopped Crimson in his tracks. What if against all odds, Yellow Bolt won the Games? When they revealed themselves to the world, Yellow would be faced with a choice: join their ranks or side with the dragons. “He’s failed this choice once, he’ll fail it again.” Crimson already knew Yellow wouldn’t sit by and let the dragon he loved perish. White Bolt didn’t have the magic spell to fix Yellow Bolt, to make him stop loving that dragon once and for all. So, Iron Bolt would have to break him once again. And he, he would have to stand by his family’s decision, as he always had for the greater good. Anything, just to keep the family together. Crimson’s heart wrenched at the thought of beating Yellow Bolt again, at the memory of his screams and sobs as the buckles smacked his back. He couldn’t do that again. Not to his baby brother.

Crimson raced through the streets, hopeful that he could stop this outcome. It was too late to meddle in the Games again. White Bolt would never poison Yellow Bolt, unless ordered, and by now, the Royal Guard undoubtedly stepped up its security. If he wanted to save Yellow from potentially choosing between his family and his love again, Crimson had to convince Sir Knight to make their move before the Ice Archery match ended, before the scores were finalized, and before there was a clear winner.

He had the silver tongue to convince Sir Knight and his brothers that he was right, but with each step he took, his heart pounded in his chest with rising panic that every second he delayed brought them closer to that dreaded outcome. This time, he had to protect his brother.

Crimson reached the abandoned house and raced down the stairs, when a shriek from within the darkness stopped him. Iron Bolt was still having his fun with Discord. Crimson almost wished Iron would just kill Discord and put him out of his misery. But that wasn’t how Iron Bolt worked. He needed his fun from something alive, or he’d get it out of someone else, one way or another.

The red stallion just kept thinking about Yellow Bolt to keep himself strong and descended the stairs. In the flickering light, he saw White Bolt wrapping a bandage around Discord’s head and Iron Bolt in the corner, fiddling with some rope and a crooked horn. As Iron Bolt became invested in his tinkering, White Bolt looked up at Crimson, who was still horrorstricken.

“I did try to stop him,” he said lamely. “But he’s just so eager.”

Crimson shook his head and recoiled. “It’s disgusting.”

White Bolt shrugged. “It’s his own fault,” he gestured to Discord’s crumpled figure with a flick of his chin. “He shouldn’t have mouthed off to Iron Bolt or insulted Sir Knight. Besides, Iron wanted a trophy.”

“And you let him?”

“He didn’t get to take something from Starlight, so he wanted to make up for it now. Be grateful that’s all he wanted. Besides, it’s not like Discord can’t just craft a new one out of thin air.”

He glanced around the room, looking for the legendary archer. Crimson wanted to demand how their father’s gang turned Iron Bolt into such a beast. White Bolt kept his eyes far away from Iron Bolt, as if ignoring his behavior would make it disappear.

“How was your little trip?” White asked, trying to divert the conversation to something less unseemly.

Crimson remembered what he was there to do and cleared his throat. Whatever he was about to say, White Bolt interrupted with a loud groan.

“Look, don’t use your fancy words or whatever. Just tell us what’s wrong. We’re your family.”

He gave a little snort, irritated his brother would stop him from using his most powerful tool.

“Do what he says.” A voice echoed through the darkness, causing the flickering light bulb to wink rapidly. In the corner of his eye, Crimson noticed Iron Bolt had stopped moving. The dark red stallion swallowed and spoke.

“The Creed want proof we have Sir Knight on our side. They’ve noticed Spike—” as he said the name Iron Bolt let out a low, bearlike growl. Crimson took a moment to let his brother work out his anger before he continued. “As I said, the dragon and his team have been winning all gold medals in recent events. Now, everypony is saying the dragon is Sir Knight.”

A howl echoed through the room, full of malice. Words were indistinguishable from curses. After the tremors running through stopped, a voice leaked from the darkness itself.

“They believe that thing is me?” the voice rumbled through the darkness. “Absurd!”

“I know,” Said Crimson. “But they want proof. They want to see you defeat Spike, or whichever archer wins in the end in combat.”

“Oh, that was already our plan,” White Bolt said with a shrug. “Four-on-one, one-on-one, it doesn’t really matter. Our plans can still continue as is.”

“But there’s the problem,” Said Crimson. “If Spike wins the Ice Archery match and the Games, they’ll keep saying he’s the real Sir Knight. Nopony will believe us when we come forth. We should strike before then.”

“Is that right?”

“Everypony’s in place. And the stage is set for your arrival.”

“We should probably deal with the other champion archers who don’t fall in line,” said White Bolt, “That way no one else can falsely claim to be Sir Knight.”

“Don’t forget,” Crimson said, “Our brother is could—”

“All of the champion archers,” said the voice. “No exceptions.”

“But Yellow’s our brother!”

“No, he’s not.” The voice spat. “He betrayed our family. He’s dead to us.”

“Just give him a chance to come to our side. He still loves us, I know it. We all know it. Please.”

The voice was silent for a moment, contemplating the suggestion. He was undoubtedly on the verge of saying no when White Bolt spoke up.

“If he won’t, I’ll take care of him.”

Crimson’s eyes darted to White Bolt. He wanted to scream, “What are you doing?” But White Bolt gave him a sad glance that told Crimson everything. If this was the only way to get Sir Knight to accept the condition, then so be it. He was betting on Yellow Bolt’s family love to bring him back.

“Very well,” Said the voice once again. “Now then, it’s time to move. Grab your bows and quivers. And bring Discord along.” The figure stepped out of the shadows into the dim light. At that moment, the light bulb broke. White Bolt’s illumination spell quickly took over, revealing just a faint outline of the speaker before he headed up the stairs.

“Iron Bolt,” Said Crimson, “You done there?”

Iron Bolt turned around with a toothy grin spread across his face. Crimson finally saw what his brother had been working so diligently on. He now sported a necklace, with a crooked blue horn dangling from his neck. Then, Crimson noticed Discord was missing a horn.

Whenever he took up the bow, Spike slipped between reality and that dream-state of intense focus. The second half of the Games felt like watching his friends or the other athletes compete for five minutes, then picking up the bow, taking to the field, and returning to that unaware dream-state. Each time he was broken from that focus and returned to reality by the endgame horn, he found himself either tied with one or two other archers for first place or leading the pack by an incredible margin.

Each of his teammates performed flawlessly, driven by something bigger than any single one of them. Spike could’ve sworn Bulk Biceps and Starlight were with them in spirit, egging them on. And this feeling proved more overpowering than he’d realized. Somehow, they’d done the impossible. Ponyville won all gold medals. And he led them, winning first place every single archery event. Instead of pride, he felt a settling sense of peace and content.

As he walked up to the field for the Precision Archery event, the twentieth archery event today, he let his mind slip back to that state of intense focus. When he released the arrow, he almost felt one with the bolt, as if his spirit was guiding it right into the target. He awoke from his dream state, and found that his precision target-shooting tied him with Silver Shine for first place. The veteran gave him a polite bow of respect and then walked off the field. He seemed distracted by some private thoughts, but Spike didn’t know or frankly care what he was dwelling on. He returned to the tent where his friends pat his back and smiled for him, each congratulating him in turn.

“Good job, everypony,” Said Applejack. “When we win this, a round of apple cider’s on me.”

“Awesome!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash. They all glanced at her. “I mean it’s awesome how well we’ve done, not just the cider thing.”

The field changed once again as ponies prepared for the Aerial Shot Put, the second to last event. Sadly with Bulk Biceps down, Ponyville couldn’t compete in this event.

“It all comes down to this,” Rainbow Dash thought as the athletes moved into place. “We have 402 points. Fillydelphia A has 405 points. If they place anything higher than second or third place, then it won’t matter if Spike wins the Ice Archery. They’ll still outplace us.” She tried not to let her teammates see her worried expression as she thought about this event’s possible outcomes. “Kinda funny how the event that could make or break us is the one we aren’t participating in.” She could almost see the irony in that thought. “Team A has to lose this, or we have no chance.”

As the event began, she glanced at Twilight up in the booth. She noticed a Royal Guard approach Twilight and whisper something into her ear that caused Twilight to narrow her eyes, as though she was contemplating some new information. Part of Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop thinking about what Twilight told her before this half of the Game started. If Discord was truly gone as she suspected, then an attack from the Creed seemed inevitable. The suspense was killing her, almost wishing the jerks would just show up so she could sonic-rainboom them into oblivion for messing with her friends. Her part in the Games was over. Now, she had to watch out for any of those Creed freaks.

A horn blared, and her attention returned to the competition. She turned to the scoreboard, looking for Team A’s score. Sixth Place. She sighed with relief. They could still catch up after all. However, she noticed first place was a three-way tie between Griffonstone, Team B, and the Crystal Empire. “Interesting,” she thought. “Looks like this isn’t just between us and Team A anymore. We have 402 points, Crystal Empire has 405, Team A has 406, and Team B has 403. Ten more points to a single team makes a clear winner. We can’t afford a tie.”

She looked to her side and saw Spike calmly viewing the scores. From his expression, she could tell he understood what this meant for their team and what he had to do. Even with all eyes on him, he didn’t shake or shudder. He knew what he had to do, and more importantly, he knew he could do it. It certainly helped ease her nerves, knowing he at least was confident in his own ability to win. Of course, now, she was entirely worried about the Creed doing something drastic.

As the referees set up the field for Ice Archery, Spike restrung his bow.

“All my training, all our pain,” Said Spike, “it’s all been for this moment. I won’t let you down.”

“Be careful,” Rainbow Dash said.

He looked at her with a little chuckle. “It’s just Ice Archery, Dash. I’m sure I won’t die.”

“Yeah,” she said absentmindedly, a little concerned he even brought up the concept of death.

He blinked as his expression dipped into a frown, wondering what was on her mind. “You okay?”

“Of course,” she said quickly, putting on a confident smile, “Just thinking. Now get out there and win it.”

Spike nodded and headed out onto the field. He shrugged off his concern over Rainbow’s absent-mindedness and turned his mind to the field. As he strapped his quiver over his back, he sensed tension spreading through the air, hostility. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem to come mostly from the other archers. It seemed to come from the entire stadium.

As he turned his gaze to the target, a distant thumbtack from his position, he took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He glanced over to Twilight in the distant booth above it all. She looked concerned, scanning the stadium for something before whispering something to Ember and Thorax, but the moment she saw Spike’s gaze she put on a reassuring smile. He smiled back, trying to put his uneasiness aside and just focus.

“You sense it too, right?” Silver’s voice rasped from his right side. “Something’s wrong.” Spike scowled, refusing to even turn around and look the elder in his eyes. “We’ve got eagle-eyes, you and I. We know something’s about to—”

“If you don’t mind, I’m trying to focus.”

“But don’t you feel like something’s wrong?”

“The only thing I feel is anger that you’re trying to distract me right before the contest starts so you can steal a win. I’ve seen you play dirty in Arrow Tag. I know you’re doing it right now.”

Silver said nothing further. He simply shook his head and shifted his sights onto his own target, letting Spike turn his attention into his small sphere of mind.

“At least try to be nice, Spike,” murmured Lightning Star on his left side. Spike ignored him and kept his thoughts directed on the task ahead. He found that perfect state of mind.

That peace ended when he looked up and saw a magical dome stretching over the coliseum, capturing the spectators and athletes. The late afternoon sky turned dimmer, as a second magical dome stretched over the field, capturing the athletes as well. As everyone looked around perplexed, Spike’s gaze turned up to Twilight, trapped beyond the magical field. She poured magical blasts on the shield to little effect. Rainbow Dash was already by his side, but he had no idea when she got there. He heard the flashing sound of teleportation spells, as ponies in hoods filled the field. There must have been a hundred. They all wore identical white masks with slits for their nostrils and mouth, and two circles for their eyes, which stared at the dragon archer with spite.

Spike fingered his bow, nervously. The other archers drifted together into a shivering clump. Most athletes by the tents were surrounded by other masked ponies, too scared to even venture forward, but Fluttershy and Applejack and a few others managed to make their way into the archer’s midst and took a stand beside Spike. Fleetfoot was already by her husband’s side, and every Wonderbolt was eying the masked strangers with unflinching resolve, prepared to fight if need be.

“What’s going on?” Spike asked. “What’re they doing?”

Before Rainbow Dash could even answer, a wave of light filled the outer sphere. Spike immediately looked to Twilight, concerned for her, then to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. As the intensifying light swallowed them, he screamed their names. Now, the outer sphere was nothing but a field of white, with no visible beings inside.

“What is this?” demanded Yellow. “Where’d they go?” He took aim at a masked pony. “Tell me what you did to Frost or I swear I’ll shoot every last one of you!”

“Steady, Yellow,” Silver said raising a hoof. “Don’t provoke them.”

“Still obsessed with that dragon, eh? Don’t worry. They’re just frozen in a time-freeze spell. They can see what’s unfolding, but they can’t do a thing to stop it.” A soothing voice spoke from beneath one of the hoods. The normally outspoken archer went pale, as the pony he was aiming at lowered the mask. Yellow’s lips trembled, his pupils shrunk into tiny beads as the red fur emerged from the hood. Green eyes stared as an almost warm smile greeted Yellow Bolt.

“It’s good to see you, bro. Glad to know the first thing you worry about is the dragon you said you fell in love with.”

“Crimson Bolt,” Silver growled. “So you’re the one behind all this?”

“Don’t give me too much credit, old-timer. Even I don’t have the magical power for all this.”

“Who is he?” Asked Rainbow Dash, keeping close to Spike’s side.

“Yellow Bolt’s oldest brother,” Said Spike. Fluttershy and Applejack glanced from Yellow Bolt to Crimson Bolt, trying to see the relationship.

“The cameras are still rolling,” Crimson said waving a hoof to the cameras still aimed on the field, “The whole world can see us now. And we have a little announcement to make.”

“We?” Spitfire narrowed her eyes, shifting her gaze across the field. “So, I take it you’re not the mastermind behind this farce.”

“If you’re here,” Silver said before shifting his gaze across the horde, searching for someone. His eyes narrowed in on a hooded figure standing just a few feet from Crimson. “White Bolt?”

The figure chuckled, and removed his mask revealing fur so white, eyes so grey, and a frown so grave that he could have been a phantom. “Good eyes, old-timer. After all these decades your vision is still sharp as ever.”

“White Bolt,” Yellow muttered. His entire body trembling as his eyes looked pleadingly at his brother. “Please, don’t do this.”

White Bolt’s frown deepened. “I think that’s the second time you’ve said that. It didn’t work when you were fifteen, and it won’t work now.”

“Please,” Yellow continued. “Just stop this. Twilight promised me you wouldn’t be banished. She even promised not to imprison you for life. Stop this now, before you make it worse. I don’t want them to hurt you. We can get you help if you’ll just stop this.”

White Bolt’s grim frown almost turned into a dim smile. “Still looking out for us? What a good brother you are.” A stroke of wistfulness crossed his weak smile, as a twinge of regret flashed through his eyes. “Wish we’d been good brothers too. Then maybe we’d be standing here as brothers, not potentially enemies.”

“Where’s the last one of you?” Asked Silver.

“I’ve had enough of this,” snarled Rainbow Dash. “I’m gonna sonic-rainboom you freaks into next week!”

She was about to blast forward when there was a movement amongst the horde. A broad-shouldered, titanic stallion stepped forward, practically shaking the ground with each hoof. He carried a lithe, limp figure over his back with absolute ease. Nopony could tell what it was, until Fluttershy screamed.

“Discord!!”

His body was bruised and beaten beyond recognition. His arms curled unnaturally, entire bits of fur had been scraped down to bloody flesh. There was a bandage wrapped around his head, where his face was swollen beyond recognition.

“No,” Fluttershy whimpered. “You monsters. What did you do?”

“That’s the Spirit of Chaos,” Soarin gasped. “How did they—I thought he was crazy powerful.”

Without a moment of hesitation, the massive stallion heaved the limp creature across the field. He fell to the ground with a loud crunch! Before he even started groaning, Fluttershy had already raced to his side. Everyone else stood there in total shock and horror.

Spike’s eyes rose to the massive figure. “Did you do this to him?”

He only tilted his head, reached into the folds of his hoof and pulled out a necklace. Roped through it was the tip of a blue horn. Spike looked from the horn to the beaten Discord, and realized the spirit of chaos was missing a horn.

“You’re strong, aren’t you? Tell me something,” Spike said without taking his eyes off of Discord. “A few days ago, Starlight lost her magic. She was attacked by a mob that was out to get Twilight. Were you the one who put her in the hospital?”

The cloaked figure laughed in a voice that grinded like steel scraping steel. Through his mask, stormy dark eyes with a yellow electric center swirled like a hurricane. His pupils widened with glee at the furious expression on the little dragon’s face. Before he could think, Spike sent an ice arrow directly into the stallion’s face. Taken by surprise, the stallion only had a second to duck. The arrow grazed the top of his mask and the corner of his left ear creating a thin layer of ice. He didn’t even flinch in pain or seem to notice. He just stared at Spike and coiled his haunches, ready to barrel forward and wring his little neck.

“No. Iron Bolt! Not yet,” Said White Bolt. “Remember the plan.”

The muscular stallion glared a moment longer at Spike, as though he was contemplating if he should listen or just kill the lizard here and now. Spike’s trembling hand already held five arrows. He wanted to shoot him. The hatred and bile building up in his body were insurmountable. He wanted nothing more than to put down this thug before he could hurt another friend. The only thing stopping him was Rainbow Dash putting a restraining hoof on his shoulder and Lightning Star giving him a hard stare. At last, the stallion stood up and keeping his eyes aimed on Spike walked back to his brothers.

Crimson Bolt slipped his mask back on. He felt more comfortable doing this behind a mask. He stepped forward and looked up to the cameras.

“Equestria! Hear me! For too long ponies have suffered under the claws and vengeful flames of dragons. For too long have we watched our mothers, fathers, children, and friends burn. But now, we have the power to fight back.. We have the strength to rise up and take back our world. To show the world that we will not be burned out. For now, we have legend on our side. Sir Knight has returned to lead us against dragonkind. His magic has overcome the mighty Starlight, the Spirit of Chaos himself, and even ‘Princess Twilight Sparkle.’ All who see him now, rise up. It’s time to take back our world!”

The ground before Crimson parted, revealing a corridor with a single stairway. A mighty gold arrow raced from the pit into the air, to the fullest height of the dome before shattering into golden dust.

As the horde began chanting, “You won’t burn us out!” More golden arrows burst from the earth and flew into the sky, raining a mist of gold. The mist became so thick it was almost impossible to see. The mist began to evaporate, revealing the outline of a fourth figure where the pit had opened. A cloaked unicorn with a pointed beard, dark green fur, and a purple mane streaked gray stood before the cameras. At his side, he magically held a bow that seemed to radiate sunlight. The mist parted, revealing Sir Knight in his full splendor. Masked ponies cheered and stomped their hooves across the soil.

Sir Knight raised a hoof for silence and opened his mouth to address the world.

“My children,” he said with a deep, rich voice. “I have returned to you in your time of need.”

He was about to speak again when Yellow Bolt through a trembling, disbelieving voice whispered, “You’re supposed to be dead.” All ponies turned to him. Tears welled in his disbelieving eyes, as he clenched his teeth so hard it hurt his head. “I don’t understand,” Said Yellow as the first tears raced down his cheeks. “How are you still alive, dad?”

Silver Shine looked at Sir Knight and shook his head. “When Twilight asked me for the name of your coroner, I couldn’t believe what she was implying. It seemed too odd to even think you could still be alive. And yet, here you are, Arrow Bolt.”

Epilogue Three Months Later

Rainbow Dash and Spike took a moment to admire how their trophy, and collection of golden archery medals, looked in Ponyville’s town hall. A month after the Games, and they still couldn’t get over their victory. He was bound to walking on crutches for at least another two months, but he’d recover.

“Pretty crazy to think we got this far,” said Spike.

“I never doubted you,” said Rainbow Dash. “Not for one second.”

He smiled at her.

“So, how’s being the future godfather of Lightning Star and Fleetfoot’s foal going for you?”

“They don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, so they’re waiting until then before they decide on a name. Besides,” he said with a little grin. “Lightning’s pretty busy these days with his Royal Guard job. That doesn’t give him much time to think about names.”

“I heard. Almost can’t believe the Princesses just hired him on the spot.”

“I’m not surprised. She couldn’t ask for a better stallion to train the Royal Guards in archery.”

“I hear Thunder Star’s having a good time in Canterlot, hanging out with her brother, Fleetfoot, and the other Royal Guards.”

“Yeah,” Spike said, smiling. “I’m glad she’s back on her hooves.”

“Spike,” She said suddenly shifting to a more serious tone. “I have to ask; what do you think we really accomplished?”

He frowned, taken aback by the question. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, we won the Games, you scored better than every other archer, but it’s not like everypony just up and accepted all dragons.”

“No kidding. Some little babies still sniffle when they see me around the markets,” He gave a sly chuckle laced with self-deprecation. “And some ponies still look at me kind of funny.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I think what you’ve done is incredible, but the Creed and other groups like it are still around. Ponies still don’t totally trust dragons after that Fillydelphia attack. Honestly, I’m not sure they ever will, even if they find the dragons responsible.”

“I know,” Said Spike. “But Twilight kind of told me something that puts a lot of it into perspective.”

“What’s that?”

“Progress takes time. We have to face setback after setback. And sometimes, we don’t get the change we want or we don’t even live long enough to see the impact we left on the world. But, one little action can inspire other little actions. It’s like a ripple effect, you know? Maybe, I didn’t make much of a difference. But, I’d like to think that at the very least, I’ve paved the way for someone else. Made it just a bit easier for someone else out there.”

Rainbow Dash regarded Spike for a moment, wondering when he became so wise and thoughtful.

“Like I said,” Twilight’s voice spoke from behind, “Love beats hate in the long run.”

They turned around to find the purple alicorn walking towards him, accompanied by Starlight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Bulk.

“Oh, hey,” said Spike sheepishly, “I didn’t see you there. Sorry about skipping out on chores again, Twi. I just wanted to see the trophy again.”

“It’s fine,” she said, walking towards her favorite dragon. “Actually, I got some news I think you’ll like. Ember and Thorax are registering their own teams for the Equestria Games next year. And I hear Fillydelphia’s recruiting local dragons too.”

Spike smiled at the wonderful news. “See?” He said with some tears in his eyes. “I did make a little difference.”

“More like a big difference,” said Rarity with a smile. “Fillydelphia’s also having its first dragon-pony marriage. Yellow and Frost are together now, because of you.”

“Huh,” Spike said with a soft laugh and a warm glance at Rarity. “A dragon marrying a pony. I never thought I’d see the day.”

She smiled right back at him. “They invited us to their wedding scheduled in a few months. They never would’ve done that if it weren’t for you.”

“And there’s some better news,” said Pinkie Pie with a little hop. “White Bolt and Crimson Bolt got temporary leave from prison to visit the wedding.”

“And they’re okay with Yellow Bolt marrying Frost?”

“He’s their brother. They love him no matter what. And anyways, Honey Charm’s the one who’s overreacting with all the happy crying.”

“I don’t care what you say,” Applejack said, “Honey Charm’s apple cider addiction is good for my business.”

“I guess we better send him our congratulations,” said Spike. “I’ll be sure to write a letter when I get home.”

“Are you feeling any better, Spike?” Asked Fluttershy.

“A lot better now, actually.” He grinned. “I’m itching to pick up a bow again.”

“I can’t believe you sometimes,” Applejack said with an amused snort. “Three months after the last Games and you’re already thinking of the next one.”

“I guess I wanna be there. You know? When other dragons are out on the field competing,” He said, “I just want to see it.”

“You will,” said Bulk. “The wealthy stuck-ups like Blueblood can’t stop what you’ve started, no matter how much money they throw out there making new laws and whatever.”

“Plus, we’ve got a friend in Silver,” said Twilight. “Nopony’s going to say no to the wealthiest archer in Equestria if he wants dragons in the Games.”

“And we can hire Trixie to represent us in court if they do,” Said Starlight. “Turns out she studied law for four years before deciding she couldn’t take other ponies tossing around lawyer jokes at her.”

They all looked at Starlight, surprised.

“I didn’t peg Trixie for an intellectual,” said Bulk.

“Yeah, me neither—hey, wait a second!” Rainbow Dash turned around to face Bulk. “You just used an expression.”

“It’s the only one I can remember from that book you gave me to read, sorry.”

“Well, we all have to start somewhere,” Said Rainbow Dash with a shrug.

“Yeah,” said Spike. “I guess we all do.”

As they left town hall, they left with hope and pride. Any pony who looked at them would smile as they walked by and wave at Spike. Then and there, he let out happy tears, grateful he lived long enough to see the difference he made.

The End

Author's Note

One year in developing this plot from bare bone outlines and another year to flesh it out and then decide to go in a different direction. It's been difficult to keep writing at times, but I'm glad I did. I'd like to thank my editor The Fan Without a Face for all his help and honest opinions. Thanks to him, there were fewer plot inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and jokes that would only make readers groan. I owe him a lot for corresponding with me for a whole year, even when my story probably got offtrack and took a while to go anywhere. I also owe a lot to Spike the Dragon, who inspires me to keep writing everyday and fills my imagination. Finally, I'd like to thank you, the fandom, my followers, or any readers who just happened to find my story interesting enough to stick to for all this time. Seriously, you're all awesome. I may have to take a break for a while to take care of some other things, but I hope to return with more stories. Thanks for all you do.

Zephyr Spark

Chapter 4 Lightning Star

Rainbow Dash paced at the train station, glancing at the clock with impatience. Twilight tried not to reward the pegasus’ tantrum with any sort of attention. She returned her attention to her third morning crossword puzzle. Spike shifted on the balls of his feet, while Bulk lifted two dumbbells.

Dash groaned, “What’s taking so long?”

“I’m sure the train is on its way.” Fluttershy glanced at the empty tracks. “Maybe, there’s been a delay?”

“Lightning Star should be here any second,” Dash grumbled. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Twilight glanced at Dash and mumbled, “A watched pot never boils.”

“Why?” Bulk asked Twilight between his reps. “Does it get stage fright?”

“It’s just an expression,” Twilight explained.

“An expression? You mean like what you do with your face?”

“No, that’s a facial expression. I meant expression like a piece of advice.”

“Just a piece?” Bulk frowned. “Why can’t we get the rest of the advice?”

Twilight stared at Bulk, uncertain if he was pulling her hoof or was genuinely confused. Sadly, his unassuming expression gave no answers.

“I’ll explain it later.” Twilight tapped a definition on her crossword puzzle. “I need an nine letter word for ‘The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.’”

“Try petrichor,” Bulk suggested.

To Twilight’s surprise, the word fit. She struggled to figure out the word for the past ten minutes, but he found it in a single second. She took another look at Bulk, who kept lifting his dumbbells. Now, she had no idea whether he was pulling her hoof or truly didn’t understand expressions. "How does some pony who can’t understand “a watched pot never boils” possibly know a word that I’ve never heard of?"Twilight wondered.

A train horn in the distance interrupted her pondering, and she spot The Friendship Express puffing smoke into the air.

“Finally!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet Lightning Star in person. I hear he’s a total party animal.”

Twilight shuddered, “I hope not. Pinkie Pie’s all the party this town can take.”

“Lighten up.” Dash waved a hoof. “I’m sure he’ll be fun.”

The train pulled into the station with a wheeze. Spike tapped his fingers together, hoping he and Lightning Star would get along, even though they would become competitors.

A unicorn carrying a heavy suitcase and an arrow case disembarked from the train. He was a white furred stallion with a yellow mane lined with black stripes. His mane had a medium length, but kept an air of tidiness. Although he had some bangs covering the top of his forehead, they did not cover his sky-blue eyes. His cutie mark was a bow and arrow made entirely of lightning.

The second their eyes met, the stallion stiffened. His body quivered with excitement, but the unicorn maintained his professionalism. He dragged his suitcase with him and approached Spike.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Spike.” Spike had to admit he liked the sound of “Mr. Spike.” The stallion cleared his throat, “I’m Lightning Star, employee of Silver Shine's Archery Range.” He turned to Twilight, “Princess Celestia told me you wanted an archery teacher for Mr. Spike, Princess Twilight.”

“Yes.” Twilight said. “And please there’s no need for formalities. We’re all friends here.”

“If you insist,” he nodded.

“You’re probably tired from your trip. If you’d like to rest in my castle, I have a room ready,” Twilight offered.

“Thanks, but I’d like to start as soon as possible,” Lightning Star smiled. “If you could show me to the training field, we can start straightaway.”

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “And afterwards, Pinkie Pie would love to throw you a welcome party.”

“Oh no, not for me.” Lightning Star shook his head politely. “Parties don’t agree with me.”

A frown spread across Dash’s face, extinguishing her party-anticipating grin. As Lightning Star hoisted his bow’s case onto his back, he noticed Twilight’s crossword puzzle.

“You like crossword puzzles?”

“Yes.” Twilight nodded. “I don’t get to do them much but they can be quite fun.”

“I do them all the time with my little sister.” Lighting Star grinned. “She’s a real wordsmith.”

“You have a sister?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, her name’s Thunder Star.” He looked a little sad. “She really wanted to come and meet Spike, but there were complications. Anyways, I’ll stop babbling. Let’s go train.”

“But the train’s right here.” Bulk pointed to the train.

“Good one.” Lightning Star let out a little chuckle, which Bulk did not return.

Bulk sighed. “One of these days, I’m going to figure out why ponies laugh at everything I say.”

Bulk swapped his dumbbells into a single hoof, picking up Lightning Star’s suitcase in his free hoof, and headed to Twilight’s castle. Twilight smiled as Fluttershy guided Lightning Star to the training field. She already liked the stallion. He seemed hardworking, polite, and intelligent. Better still, Twilight could tell Spike liked Lightning Star too. He hung back and talked eagerly with the archer. She and Rainbow Dash lagged behind a moment.

“He’s not at all what I expected,” Chuckled Twilight.

“Yeah,” Sighed Dash. “He’s so…”

“Smart.”

“Boring.”

Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. “What do you mean boring? He’s getting straight to work like he should.”

“Ponies told me he was a fun, crazy athlete, not…” Dash gestured to the stallion, “That.”

“Well, some ponies have different ideas of fun.” Twilight headed off of the station platform, down the stairs. “Now come on. Let’s see how he teaches.”

“Yeah, sure.” Dash followed with a scowl. “I’ll bet he gives an hour long lecture on the proper standing position for archers.”

“You think?” Twilight beamed, “Maybe I should get some paper to take notes.”

“If he does, I swear,” Rainbow Dash decided not to finish that sentence. She had a feeling a lecture was imminent.

After setting up his bow next to Spike’s, Lightning Star asked Spike to show him his archery technique. Spike nocked an arrow, pulled back the string, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow hit the red rim of the target.

“Good,” Lightning Star nodded. “I notice you placed the arrow on the right side of the bow, rather than the left.”

“Is that bad?” Spike asked with concern. “That’s just how Shining taught me.”

“Not at all. In fact, it’s perfect.” Lightning Star nocked an arrow on the left side of his bow. “If you place the arrow on the left, you’ll need several adjustments before you can actually shoot.” He swapped the arrow to the right side. “Shining Armor was trying to teach you how to aim and fire in a single motion.”

Lightning Star drew the bow and fired within a fraction of a fraction of a second, hitting the target’s center. Spike whistled. Rainbow Dash looked on with intrigue, trying to ignore Twilight’s note taking as she recorded Lightning’s every word.

“A lot of movies today show archers as long distance fighters who stand still and fire.” Rainbow Dash’s lecture senses began to tingle.

“The truth is centuries ago, archers had to learn how to shoot under a lot of different circumstances. Master archers could shoot up close, from afar, and on the move. In times of war, archers carried multiple arrows in one levitation spell or with the same hoof they shot with.”

Lightning Star drew five arrows from the quiver, firing all five within two and a half seconds, nailing the center of the target. Spike’s jaw dropped. He thought he was a decent archer, but Lightning Star’s speed and accuracy far outclassed him.

Lightning Star noticed Spike’s awed expression. “Bad news is that reaching this level takes a lot of practice. I can only do this because I’ve spent years practicing and studying ancient archery.”

“But we don’t have years.” Spike facepalmed.

“No,” Lightning Star admitted. “But the good news is you already have plenty important parts of the form down thanks to Shining Armor. You just need to learn to draw and shoot in one motion. Though more bad news: that’s the hard part.”

Spike frowned; he couldn’t imagine himself reaching Lightning Star’s speed.

“Hey, no frowning,” Lightning ordered. “You can do this. I wouldn’t teach you if I didn’t think you could learn it.”

Spike nodded, “Thanks.”

Lightning Star spent all week training Spike. They only ever took breaks for meals, the bathroom, or five-minute breathers. By the end of the third week, Spike still felt inadequate. But little did he know, he reached a record speed that would make professional archers envious. Lightning Star still outpaced him, but the skill gap between them had shortened, even if Spike couldn’t see it.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle came to watch Spike and Lightning Star train on the second week. Sweetie Belle was so impressed she invited her friends to come watch with her. Applebloom and Scootaloo became regular observers. They managed to contain their excitement and not interfere in Spike’s training. Other ponies started watching him too. Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps took breaks from their morning routines to admire Spike and Lightning Star’s skills for a few hours. Applebloom brought Applejack and Big Mac to the field, and they too became avid watchers. Starlight and Twilight were seldom far from the training field. Their constant support helped Spike push on. Next to Rarity, Starlight, and Twilight, Pinkie Pie visited most often. She always brought sports drinks and snacks for the archers.

At first, Spike felt self-conscious and nervous about having an audience. He told this to Rainbow Dash, though she reminded him that all of Equestria would watch him at the Games, so he should try to get used to an audience. Spike asked her how to cope with an audience.

She said, “Just find your perfect state of mind. You know, where everything else goes away.”

Spike had a vague notion of what she meant. “So don’t think?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, “Don’t think.”

He scratched the back of his head. “But how am I supposed to not think when I’m thinking about not thinking?”

Dash sighed, “You and Twilight always have to make things so complicated! Just pay attention to the archery, not the audience.”

If Spike liked Lightning Star before they started training, he now admired him. The stallion had a way of explaining techniques in a clear, concise manner. He never reprimanded Spike or got frustrated. If Spike’s grip was wrong or his aim was off, Lightning Star simply corrected him and moved on. Lightning Star even complimented Spike when he performed well, though never to the point of being excessive or overindulgent. His compliments were brief, to the point, and meaningful. Spike earned every word of praise through hard work. Most surprising of all to Spike was the power he felt in Lightning Star’s eyes. His blue eyes were almost hypnotic, filling Spike with a strange, peaceful calm. He paid less attention to the ponies watching him as they faded to the edge of his consciousness. There was only him, Lightning Star, and their bows.

He wasn’t the only one enjoying Lightning Star’s company. Twilight grew to respect his knowledge and love of history. Lightning Star wasn’t just an athlete; he was a history buff. He recreated ancient archery techniques by studying old scrolls and Twilight was fascinated by his historical research. When Spike went to sleep, the two of them would stay up for an hour discussing ancient history and the evolution of archery. Rarity, similarly, appreciated his polite conduct befitting a gentlecolt. Although Dash wished he was more fun, she was at least glad he wasn’t a snobbish jerk. Still, she wondered why anypony would call him a party animal. Who even told her that?

Lightning Star was kind enough to stay an extra month longer than he originally planned to train Spike. However by the third month, he had to return home. On their last week of training, Pinkie Pie approached Lightning Star when he was alone and asked if she could throw a farewell party. Lightning Star politely declined.

“I don’t feel comfortable in a crowd,” he explained.

Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “Then why are you in the Equestria Games where everyone can look at you?”

Lightning Star flinched. “Well, that’s different.”

“I’ve been going through partying records of the Crystal Empire,” Pinkie said. “I found a photo a decade ago with this stallion. Ponies called him ‘Party Fever.’ I read some of his shenanigans.” Pinkie Pie whistled. “He was wild, crazy, and that’s coming from me. I don’t call ponies wild or crazy. Cause I am crazy. Funny thing is he looked exactly like you.”

Sweat ran down Lightning’s forehead. “There are plenty of stallions who look like me.”

Pinkie Pie pulled out a photograph from her mane of the party and pointed to a white stallion, “But not many have the same cutie mark.”

Lightning Star brought his voice down, “Listen, that’s a part of my life I’m trying to leave behind, okay?”

“So it was you!”

“Yes,” he admitted with shame. “Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not proud of the person I was back then.”

“My lips are sealed, and that’s a Pinkie Promise.” She lifted her hoof and recited her Pinkie Promise oath. “I just have one question. Why’d you stop being Party Fever?”

Lightning Star sighed.

“You know I’ll figure out eventually,” Pinkie said. “Everything we do and say is written online for people to read.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Pinkie said, “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

“I stopped being Party Fever because my sister needed me.” Lightning Star sank into a bench on the field and looked past Pinkie Pie into the phantoms of another life. “I didn’t do my job raising her because I was a stupid, selfish jerk who would rather party his cares away than actually do something with his life. One night, I wasn’t there when she needed me. And she got hurt, hurt in a way no apology will ever fix.

“They told me to clean up my act or she might not make it. I may be selfish, but I loved my sister enough to appear as a different stallion for her sake. No more partying. No more using archery as a cheap party gag. I started teaching archery, making actual money for her treatments. Along the way, someone recognized my talent and got me a place on the Crystal Empire’s team. They whipped me into shape, taught me how to save money, function in the real world, and actually be a half-decent person.”

Lightning Star’s eyes welled up with tears. His throat constricted with sharp pains. Pinkie Pie handed him a handkerchief to blow his nose. He cleared his nose and composed himself.

“I won’t be that party-holic, spoiled brat ever again. That’s not the stallion my sister needs. I have to be a mature adult who stays on the right side of the law and looks after the only family I have left.”

“I understand,” Pinkie pat his shoulder with a teary smile on her face. “I’m sorry for pushing you to a party. I think I understand why you agreed to help Spike. You want to share your gift with others.”

He nodded, “I’ve got to do some actual good in the world.”

Pinkie Pie sat down next to him on the bench.

“Everypony really appreciates all you’ve been doing for Spike,” she said. “Rainbow Dash said you’ve brought him farther in two and a half months than she could have in two and a half years. And trust me, Dash hates admitting that anyone can do a better job at anything.”

“I can imagine,” he chuckled while fighting down tears. “She seems like a proud mare. Though I know she’d stand with her friends through anything.”

“Boy, you should see some of the things we’ve been through,” Pinkie murmured. She sighed, “Come the Games, Spike’s going to need her. He’s going to need everyone.” A thought crossed her mind; a delightful thought that caused her to grin from ear to ear. “Oh my gosh, Lightning Star! I’ve got the bestest idea ever!”

Lightning Star recoiled in frank surprise at her sudden mood change. “Okay?”

“I know what you could do that would really help Spike,” Pinkie Pie declared with triumph. “Listen.”

She leaned into his ear and whispered. Lightning Star frowned at first, but then his eyes opened wide, intrigued by the pink pony’s proposal. A similar grin spread across his face. The two departed, ready to enact their plans.

Chapter 19 Four Archers

“Yes, that was my name once.” The Sir Knight figure wore a little smile on his face, as though he were appreciating a life experience. “Arrow Bolt. Ah, he was the perfect vessel for my spirit.”

“Spirit?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Who the hay do you think you are??”

“Sir Knight. My spirit has returned in the body of this most worthy vessel.”

“That voice,” muttered Yellow. “That doesn’t sound like dad at all. It’s too deep and not grinding like gravel. Could he really be…?”

“Give me a break,” Said Spitfire unimpressed. “Sir Knight’s a legend. You’re no legend. That’s a neat parlor trick though, making your voice sound scary. Who are you really, and what do you want?”

“Arrow Bolt,” Silver answered Spitfire’s question without looking at her. His eyes were fiercely guarded, surrendering little trace of emotion. “Stop this. Stop this right now.”

“Silver Shine, my old friend.” Said the stallion, golden light radiating from his fur, like a star standing on the earth. With the light, there was a strange pressure in the air, as if an overwhelming presence was hanging over them. “I’ve realized my purpose. All these years of planning, suffering, and waiting, it’s all lead to this. Even death could not stop me from seizing my destiny. Now, join me.”

He extended his hoof to all the athletes, who were on the verge of panic. “Come, join my righteous quest. Fulfill a purpose greater than yourself. Join me, and you shall become a part of my new world and never know death—”

“Stand your ground, everypony,” Shouted Silver, as he noticed a few athletes wavering before the so-called legend. Reassured by Silver’s calm demeanor, they began to settle down. Many ponies looked to the elder for leadership, watching quietly as Silver faced down the archer. “Arrow, you need help. Please, drop this magic dome and let’s just talk.”

Arrow Bolt looked upon Silver with clear disappointment on his face, letting out a saddened sigh. “I see. I had hoped you would recognize your savior. But I suppose you’ve been lost to the light for far too long.” His horn flashed with a golden aura. He turned to address the crowd. “I have come here to deal with the dragon responsible for attacking Fillydelphia. The one who’s father was responsible for the Dragon Town Rampage fifty years ago.”

Spike noticed Yellow Bolt’s legs trembling as he bit his lip. “He had nothing to do with it,” Yellow muttered, too softly for anypony to hear. “I know he’s innocent.”

Arrow Bolt continued without noticing Yellow Bolt’s stammering, as if he was not even visible. “But first, I’ve come to deal with this,” he flicked his chin at Spike with a disgusted sneer, “With this … insult.” The last words were a vicious hiss, barely able to get out from behind the pony’s harshly clenched teeth.

Rainbow Dash darted between them, keeping her eyes trained on the archer. His eyes brimmed with a scarlet flame, as though he was about to cast some horrible spell on her. Spike didn’t like that look, especially when it was aimed at his friend.

“Wait,” he said, taking a moment to gently push Rainbow Dash aside before Arrow Bolt could cast a spell. “What exactly do you want from me?”

“Don’t speak to your better, lizard,” Arrow Bolt hissed. “Or I’ll snap you in half.”

Spike swallowed nervously, sensing that this stallion was fully capable of following through on his threat.

“Now then,” Said Arrow. “We fight to the end, little dragon. To determine once and for all, who’s the greatest archer: Sir Knight or some pretender.”

“Spike, don’t agree to this,” Said Rainbow Dash. “Let me and Spitfire handle him.”

Spike was about to agree, when he remembered Twilight was trapped in some kind of wonky time-freeze spell. She was basically a hostage now, and he had no idea what would happen to her if she wasn’t freed soon.

“He’s gonna threaten to hurt you guys if I don’t,” whispered Spike. “It’s crazy bad guy 101. And I can’t let him hurt any of you. Not anymore.”

Turning to Arrow Bolt, he took a few steps forward. “If I win, your spells will come undone? Will Starlight and Discord get their magic back and the time-freeze spell will go down? At least, I’m assuming that was all you.”

“Yes, it was my magic. If you defeat me, perhaps all my spells will vanish. But when I win, you’ll never pick up a bow again.”

“You want me to quit archery? That’s it?”

“‘Quit archery?’ "He cackled, making a sound that didn’t sound natural. “You misunderstand. I want to kill you. I want to drag you into the street, broken, humiliated, and show the world that you are nothing. Then, your team leader for letting you compete.”

His eyes shifted over to the blue pegasus, standing feet behind Spike. For as brave as she was, even she felt miniscule under his gaze, as though an entire mountain pressed on her shoulders.

“A pegasus who’d let a dragon compete in her own team doesn’t deserve to keep her wings.” He made a slight movement towards her, as though he was about to make good on his threat.

Spike drew an arrow and took aim. “Leave my friends out of this.”

“You’ll have to make me.” Arrow Bolt sneered, before drawing from his quiver and preparing to fire.

“Hold it!” Lightning Star raced forward to the dragon’s side with his bow aimed at Arrow Bolt. “You’re saying you want to figure out who’s the best archer? Well, you forgot something. Spike hasn’t won the Games yet. You interrupted us before the Ice Archery match, the tiebreaker. For all we know, I could’ve kept my record and won the Games. If you’re going to fight Spike, you might as well fight me too.”

Spike felt more reassured with the white-furred unicorn standing by his right side, unflinchingly brave. A nobler part of him wanted to tell Lightning to stay out of this fight for his own safety, but his logical side didn’t want to die and knew that he’d need all the help he could get.

“Just as well,” Arrow Bolt shrugged. “I planned to execute you for sullying yourself by teaching a dragon or pluck out your eyes, so you could never pass your archery onto another dragon pupil.”

Crimson Bolt swallowed at his father’s harsh, lashing threats. Lightning Star held his breath, as his legs went tense. Spike pulled five extra arrows from his quiver and held them in his hand, ready to attack. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash on the left, and then Silver Shine standing by his side.

“By Lightning’s logic, you’ll have to fight me too, Arrow Bolt,” the elderly stallion said. “After all, I could have won Ice Archery and the Games.”

Spike couldn’t help giving a scoff and muttering, “Yeah, but you lost Arrow Tag.”

“Do you really want to turn away my help?” Silver grumbled under his breath. “And anyways, you didn’t win Arrow Tag. You tied with me and Lightning, remember? So,” he said as he nocked an arrow and faced the dark green stallion, “Arrow Bolt, you will have to fight me too if you really want to be the best archer.”

Arrow Bolt’s eyes shifted between the three, unimpressed at their apparent unity.

“And what about you, Yellow Bolt?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the caramel stallion.

“Dad—I mean Sir Knight, this doesn’t involve him,” Said Crimson. “We said—”

“Everyone must make their choice.”

“But, Yellow didn’t win the Games. And it’s not like—”

“Are you implying your own brother couldn’t have won this competition? Do you really have so little faith in him?” His voice had an edge to it that warned Crimson not to speak any further. Crimson bit his tongue and nodded, letting his father continue. “So, Yellow Bolt, son of Arrow Bolt, my current vessel. What will you do?” The young archer just stood there, trembling as hot tears poured down his face and his nostrils flared trying to withhold all his muddy mucus. Arrow Bolt looked at his son, his lip curled with disgust. “Still a coward. Can’t tell a dragon how he truly feels, can’t confess his sins to his family, and can’t even make up his mind where he belongs.”

“Shut up.”

He looked down at the voice who commanded him and saw Spike, grinding his teeth so hard they practically sparked.

“I don’t care who you think you are,” said the dragon with a fiery glare. “But you’ve hurt Yellow Bolt for the last time.”

Crimson Bolt inspected the dragon skeptically. “Why should you care? Yellow Bolt’s insulted you, turned ponies against you, and didn’t even tell you about us until we put your friend in the hospital. That means he let us destroy your room, he let us attack Starlight and seal her magic. You should hate him.”

“I’ll decide who I hate and don’t hate,” Said Spike tightening his grip on his bow. “And no matter what happens today, I won’t hate Yellow.”

“But why? How could you forgive him?”

“It’s… I don’t know why and I can’t explain it. But,” Spike stopped. He looked over his shoulder, back at Yellow Bolt who was all but blinded by his tears. As their eyes locked, a smile crossed Spike’s face. “I suppose I think of him as a friend.”

Yellow Bolt’s eyes widened with disbelief. His lower lip shook and made an awful sucking noise he just couldn’t stop. An uncontrollable urge to inhale took over his mouth, as though he couldn’t get enough air. Embarrassed by the emotional display, Spike turned his attention back to Arrow Bolt.

“Yellow.” White Bolt’s voice shook him from his feelings. His pale-furred brother had imploring eyes, a begging expression that Yellow had never seen before. “Please, join us. It can be just like old times, before it all went wrong.”

Yellow Bolt stared at them for a moment, looking at White Bolt then Crimson, then Iron, and then his father.

“You can come back, Yellow,” Crimson Bolt said with a smile, full of sincere love. “You can be our brother again. And this time, we’ll protect you.”

Yellow’s mouth wavered, trying to close on some distinct words. His body was shaking once again, as Crimson Bolt’s familiar voice and soothing promise washed over him.

“All you have to do is join us. Help us now, and you can even be on the right side of history. We won’t have to break up our family ever again. You can be whole again.”

His lithe caramel hoof took a step towards his brother. His soul wanted this, craved this, more than he could ever admit. His face sunk down, the shadow of his thick jagged bangs obscured his eyes, as other athletes waited to see what he would choose. The weight of every eye in the world was upon him now. He took a few more steps towards his brothers, until he was almost adjacent to Silver Shine. Then, he stopped. White Bolt and Crimson Bolt looked at their brother with hopeful eyes, pleading for him to cross over. Even Iron Bolt had a dim expression in his stormy eyes that looked vaguely hopeful and tender.

“Tell me, White Bolt,” Yellow said with his eyes still downcast, hidden beneath the shadows cast by his bangs. “Did you poison Honey Charm?”

At once, the hopeful gazes vanished from their faces. As Crimson tried to think up an excuse, Yellow Bolt lifted his face, revealing a pair of scowling, furious eyes.

“Is dad going to kill Frost for a crime he didn’t commit?”

“We know he’s guilty,” Said Crimson. “Right, White Bolt?”

“Of course, we—”

“You still haven’t answered me, White Bolt.” His face contorted into a dark dangerous expression. His body trembled, not out of fear or remorse, but pure rage. “Did you poison Honey Charm? And is dad going to kill Frost?”

Slowly, White Bolt nodded. Yellow pulled an arrow from his quiver and fired directly at his brother. White Bolt managed to cast a hasty shield spell that bounced the projectile into the arena wall, where it made a small, icy hole.

“What’re you doing?” He exclaimed. “We’re your family!”

Yellow still looked vengeful, but with Silver by his side watching him, his temper was now in check so he didn’t fire an immediate second arrow. “I know.” He said with a brief, small, wistful glance. “And I cherish all the good times we had together. They make the bad almost tolerable.” His eyes hardened, as fresh tears began welling in his eyes. “But Honey Charm’s been there for me when you all weren’t. She was there to show me love and help me, each and every time you beat me.”

“What?” Silver gasped, as his glance darted between Yellow and his brothers, and then his father. Arrow Bolt however, said nothing to deny Yellow’s claims. At that moment, Silver remembered how Spike mentioned there was something about his old friend he didn’t know. He never understood how Yellow Bolt turned out the way he did, but now, it was all starting to make sense. But even as he struggled with this realization, the brothers kept talking.

“Yellow, we had to do it.” Crimson said with less than sincere conviction. “We just wanted to fix you. To make sure you wouldn’t go on to suffer judgment from other ponies. We had to help you.”

“You could’ve said no!” Yellow roared through his angry crying. “You could’ve stood up to dad and defended me!” He shed a few bittersweet tears amidst his livid sobs. “Maybe I’ll always love you, or love how I remember you, but I’m done making excuses for you!”

“Yellow, please,” White Bolt’s voice was laced with frustration. “You can’t stand with this lizard. Is it really that easy for you to pick him over us?”

“No. Choosing between you and him would be easy enough. Even though I’d want to help him after all the kindness he’s shown me, I’d be too scared to disobey you guys. I’d want to come back. But choosing between you and Honey Charm, you and Frost,” Yellow shook his head. “It’s not even a question.”

“Yellow Bolt, think about what you’re doing,” Crimson said. “If you continue down this path, then you won’t be on the right side of history.”

He snorted, with bitter amusement. “I don’t know much about right and wrong. I’ve been pulled all over the place to different sides and different perspectives so much I couldn’t tell right from wrong if it were staring me in the face. All I know is this: you hurt Honey Charm, you threatened Frost. That means I can’t side with you, not without killing myself, without killing the real me.”

“If you side with them, you can’t come home to your family. You won’t be with us.”

“No. But maybe, I’ll be with Frost.” His cheeks curled into a tiny, satisfied smile. “That’s more than enough for me.”

“This is your last chance, Yellow,” Said Arrow Bolt, his previously calm voice showing a hint of malice and impatience at his son’s continued defiance. “Stop being a coward and take a stand. If you have any loyalty, stop this foolishness and go to the side where you know you belong.” He punctuated his words with a loud stomp of his hoof that boomed like thunder through the stadium.

Yellow closed his eyes, cowed by the dark voice and the familiar command. Every muscle in his body urged him to obey his father. Once again he was about to give in, when he remembered Frost and Honey Charm and remained steadfast in his convictions. “No! I won’t be a coward anymore. You want me to take a stand? You want me to declare once and for all where I belong?” His eyes opened, no longer damp with tears, as he nocked an arrow and took aim at his father. “Well, here you go. I stand with dragons! And today, I fight side by side with Spike, my,” he paused and looked at Spike, who was on the verge of his own tears. Then, Yellow hardened his expression and turned back to his family. “My friend! The only brother I have now!”

“So be it,” Said Arrow Bolt. “In bringing you into this world, I made a mistake, I made you flawed. I thought I could fix you, but now I see the only way to make amends is to erase you altogether.”

As those red-glowing eyes towered over him, Yellow felt himself growing small, practically reversing to that little fifteen year old. His resolve was fading by the second. Then, a purple dragon stepped in front of him with a bow trained on Arrow Bolt.

“You’ll have to go through us first,” Said Spike.

Seeing the little dragon defend him revived his courage. Yellow’s grip on his bow was steadier than ever.

“My top soldiers versus your motley crew,” Arrow chuckled, “Four on four.”

“What?” Spike frowned. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”

Spike’s voice went unnoticed. A violent red aura flared from Arrow Bolt’s horn, as he slammed his hoof into the ground. Four walls rose around them, sealing all eight of them inside. A second magical dome rose over the walls, cutting them off from the other athletes. Crimson Bolt and White Bolt drew their bows, and Iron Bolt simply cracked his neck.

“Listen up,” Said Silver to the four archers. “I’ll handle Arrow Bolt. I know how he fights, so I can beat him. The rest of you take one of them.”

“Who made you leader?” Growled Spike. “I’m the one without magic, shouldn’t I be the one to fight him?”

“Look, I understand why you won’t forgive me for shooting Yellow before, especially if what Yellow said they did to him was true. But now’s not the time to hold grudges. We have to work together if we want to win. My teleportation will keep me out of his spell’s range. Even if I can’t beat him, I can at least buy you three enough time to deal with the brothers so we can meet up and gang up on him.”

“Enough chitchat,” exclaimed Arrow Bolt as his horn flashed gold. “Let’s fight!”

A powerful magical wave flung Spike, Yellow, and Lightning into the three corners of the room. The brothers split up and raced to each corner, as walls formed behind them, enclosing each of them with another archer. Silver Shine faced his old friend with a calm demeanor.

“Now that I’ve become Sir Knight, my magic is more powerful than ever. I could end this in a single moment.”

“You’re dangerously deluded.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Criticize what your feeble mind can’t comprehend,” he shook his head. “It’s always been your way. My magic defeated Starlight and Discord. What chance do you have?”

“I’ve beaten you before, I’ll beat you again.” Silver took aim at Arrow Bolt, reading three more arrows for a quick draw.

“Oh, my dear Silver. There’s something I’ve never told you.” Arrow’s eyes glared with a golden aura. All at once, fifty bows appeared around him, aiming directly at Silver. “All these years, I’ve been fighting at a quarter of my real power.”

White Bolt teleported in front of Yellow with his bow drawn.

“I promised dad I would deal with you if you didn’t see reason. I’m sorry it had to end this way. I truly am.”

“I’m not a frightened fifteen-year-old colt anymore,” Said Yellow as he rolled his shoulders. “I can take you.”

White Bolt’s horn flashed. Then, he vanished from sight.

Yellow Bolt glanced around the field.

“Glad to know you think so little of me. Using this stupid spell on me as if it would work,” He said with a smirk. “You think I don’t know how this spell works? You think I haven’t sparred with Honey Charm?”

Yellow’s eyes narrowed at a spot where the grass bent unnaturally. Three hooves made an imprint on the turf, and a fourth one was about to come down. He sent an ice arrow where he expected the fourth hoof to fall. Ice spread over the grass. Startled by the slippery terrain, White Bolt’s hoof skidded, causing him to trip. The invisibility spell dropped, but White Bolt cast a shielding spell just in time to block Yellow’s next arrows. When the arrows stopped, he dropped his shield spell and looked at Yellow, almost impressed by his brother’s strategy.

“Start taking me seriously,” said Yellow. “I’m not some helpless baby. I’m one of Fillydelphia’s archers who qualified for the Equestria Games. Treat me like it.”

“Oh, brother,” chuckled White Bolt. “You’re in over your head. Especially if you think your magic is a match for mine.”

After catching his breath from colliding into the corner, Lightning looked up to find Crimson Bolt several feet away, levitating a bow at him. Lightning had an arrow nocked before Crimson could even blink. The two eyed each other, searching the other’s body for any movement that could betray the other’s intention.

“Impressive reaction time,” said Crimson. “But I’m not just an archer.”

“Yeah, I noticed the sword you have in that scabbard. You set that fencing record ten years ago. Undefeated in every match.”

“Glad you remembered.” With magic, he pulled the thin blade out, saluted with a single flick, and aimed at his opponent. “Care for a demonstration, Party Fever?”

Lightning’s jaw tightened at his old nickname, a gesture which did not escape Crimson’s attention.

“Yes,” said the dark red stallion. “I know who you are. More importantly, I know what you did so many years ago, on that night.”

Lightning’s focus began to wane, as memories resurged. He mentally scolded himself, trying to keep his mind in the present, but Crimson was still talking.

“You know what I’m talking about, right? I know where you were on the night when your sister had that tragic accident that took her legs. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to figure out with a little asking around. Still, I have to say I’m impressed. I never thought you were capable of such a crime.”

“Shut it.”

“Hmm,” Crimson said as he raised an amused eyebrow. “Struck a nerve there, didn’t I?”

“It was years ago. I’ve done my time.”

“Is that what you told your wife?”

Lightning was silent. His grip on his bow was slipping, as his face went red with grief. His breathing was becoming coarse and shallow.

“Ah, so you didn’t tell her. And does your sister know?”

“I thought I told you to shut it,” Lightning glowered. “Criminals like you don’t get to judge me!”

“Criminal?” Crimson snorted, and shook his head. “Now, now. I’m not the one who spent time in prison for murder!”

Murder. The word hung in the air like a horrendous violent echo. Everyone in the world could hear the accusation, from Princess Celestia to the Crystal Empire and Fleetfoot and to Thunder Star. Thinking of them as they stood in shock from hearing Crimson’s claim nearly broke Lightning’s resolve. He never wanted the world to see him like this, but now his crime was out in the open for all to see, in all its naked, hideous glory.

“Can’t even deny it, can you?” Said Crimson with a smirk.

“It was an accident, I swear.”

“That’s exactly what you said in your testimony. Some young, drunk stallion spit on you at one of your infamous parties. The two of you got in a fight, exchanging blows. You pushed him. He took a tumble off the roof and broke his neck. You turned yourself in, and in your testimony, you said ‘It was an accident, I swear.’ They believed you, but you spend a month in the dungeons for it. You learned that your sister’s been unconscious for the past month because of her accident.” Crimson shook his head, with an expression mixed between disgust and disappointment. “You know, I have to ask. Were you really sorry about killing him? Or were you only sorry when you realized that your sister was hospitalized while you were busy partying?”

“Of course I was sorry about it. I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

“But what made you change your ways? Was it the killing? Or,” Crimson’s eye’s narrowed as he pointed a hoof at Lightning, “Would you have even shaped up if your sister hadn’t been injured because of your recklessness?”

“I just… I didn’t mean for him to… I didn’t know it would… I never meant to kill him.”

“Odd then, how you pushed that poor young stallion off a five-story building, for what was it? ‘Spitting on you?’ Quite the overreaction.” Crimson took a few steps forward, as Lightning’s determination started to falter along with his grip on his bow. “All your life, you’ve tried to atone for your sins. Not by punishing yourself, no. But by pretending to have grown up into a sensible, young stallion who cares entirely about his sister.”

As Lightning struggled for words, Crimson tensed his back hooves and shot forward, catching the archer by surprise. His sword jabbed, jabbed, jabbed, scoring precise shallow wounds on Lightning. The archer fell to his knee. Crimson drew back for the final blow when—

“Lightning! Get up!” Fleetfoot’s voice screamed through the solid walls and through the magical dome. In that moment, Lightning found his strength again. He fired three ice arrows in a single second where Crimson stood, forcing the unicorn to leap away. He rose to his hooves, pulled the ice arrows out of the ground, and exhaled.

“You know, a friend once told me that I should put the past behind me,” Said Lightning. “Truth is, however, I don’t think I ever will. I’ll always live with my regrets, my mistakes, and my sins. No matter how hard I try, I’ll never escape it all. But I won’t let my past keep me from living my life. Not anymore.”

“So you say,” Crimson said with total nonchalance. “But there’s still plenty more pain to dig up.”

Lightning frowned as he took stock of his situation. His wounds weren’t serious and he could certainly keep fighting. But Crimson was far too nimble and quick to hit. If he didn’t keep an arrow ready to fire at all times, Crimson could easily close the distance between them and finish the fight with a single fatal sword blow. He had to buy time so he could figure out something, someway to beat his opponent swiftly. He quickly picked through what he knew about Crimson’s fighting style. So far, he hadn’t even used the bow, so it was most likely just for show; a sort of distraction so his sword could come in and attack. But Lightning realized Crimson’s greatest weapon wasn’t his sword or speed; it was his piercing, eloquent words. He knew what to say in a way that would affect everypony. Then perhaps, he could be brought down with words too.

“Mind if I ask you something?” Said Lightning.

“What’s that?”

“You set so many records in just one Game. But then you never competed again. Why?”

Crimson blinked, surprised. He wondered for a moment what subterfuge Lightning was trying. Seeing none, he shrugged.

“I guess there’s no harm in telling you. I gave that up, so I could look after my family. After a dragon killed our mother, my father became despondent. So, naturally, being the eldest, I had to look after us all. Even after he got back on his hooves, my father needed me right there to help raise my brothers. And I love my brothers, far more than anything else in this world.”

“Isn’t that kind of hypocritical of you to say?” Asked Lightning with an edge to his voice. “From what I understand, you beat Yellow Bolt for falling for a dragon. How exactly is that love?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” He said with a snort. “The dragon Yellow fell in love with, it’s the offspring of the same dragon that killed our mother!” He practically spat out the last words, a hint of unkempt rage evident in his eyes.

Lightning’s eyes narrowed. “So you beat him to teach him a lesson? Is that it?”

“I had to. I had to keep the family together.”

“By beating your youngest brother?! That’s not love!!”

“What do you know?! I had to build the founding blocks for our new family. I had to give them and my father an outlet for all their anger and pain. That was the only way that I could stop their sorrow. The only way I could return life to my father’s eyes. By falling in love with a dragon, Yellow threatened the foundations that were keeping our family together. I had to do it. For the sake of my whole family.”

“Foundations built on hate aren’t foundations at all.”

“Hate? You think our family was built on hate?” All at once the rage in Crimson’s eyes evaporated, leaving only traces of a lifelong pain. “You have no idea what it was like after our mom died. Our family was lost, broken. It was like all the life in the world left us. I had to stand up and get us back on track. I had to look after my little brothers. I had to help dad make ends meet, I had to babysit my brothers instead of having a life of my own, I had to give up my promising future as an athlete in the Equestria Games so I could stay with them. Every night, I had to tuck them in. I had to work from before the sun came up until it was practically dusk. I had to keep us from falling apart. But you know what? It was fine by me. Because I love my family more than anything. All the pain, all the stress, all the nights where I couldn’t let them see me crying; none of it stopped me from being what they needed me to be. I’d do anything to keep us from falling apart. Our family was founded on love. Uncompromising love.”

Lightning had the beginnings of a plan, but he still needed more time. He had to keep stalling.

“I guess we’re opposites like that,” he said. “My parents ditched me and my little sister the first chance they got. I followed their example and ditched my sister whenever I could. I didn’t want to feel for anyone again. I couldn’t take that feeling of betrayal again. When my little sister needed me every night, I was never there. Too busy partying my cares away. I didn’t even think about her, until she got hurt because I wasn’t there. I’ve had regrets. A lot, actually. But none greater than pushing away my sister instead of taking responsibility.”

“You care about your family.” Crimson regarded Lightning with a hint of approval, from one brother to another. “Then, why side with dragons? They’re unpredictable monsters who can destroy entire towns. Befriending them invokes nothing but pain, suffering, and loss. What happened to my mother will happen again to others if we refuse to act. I will protect my family and my children, so they can grow up in a world free of terror. If you win, they’ll still be rampaging. Eventually, they’ll rampage in your town. They won’t see you differently from any other pony.”

“Maybe. I guess I’ll just have to hope they remember the kindness I showed to one of their own.”

“Do you honestly think they’ll never threaten you or your sister? Or how about your new wife, or the family you’ll raise with her? Do you think they’ll recognize you or your family when they finally decide to act like the monsters they truly are?”

A flicker of fear crossed his heart at the thought. Fleetfoot or Thunder losing their lives was too unbearable to even think about. But even more unbearable was the thought of letting Crimson’s words faze him. “You’ve got a way with words. If I were anypony else, you might’ve made me hesitate.”

“And what kept you from hesitating?”

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Spike. I’ve trained him, helped him through some hard times. In many ways, I’ve come to see him as a brother I never had. That’s why I can’t push him or dragonkind away.”

“You think of him as a brother?”

“Gladly.”

“Then you’re more of a fool than I thought.”

“Nothing’s more important than family, right? I know that, and somehow I know that you know that too. You didn’t want to hurt Yellow. And I bet you still don’t.”

Crimson by now was holding in his anger, sputtering, lost for words. “What?”

“Why else would you try so hard to bring him to your side?”

“I—”

“And even now, you’re hesitating. You act like you believe this cause completely, but even I can see you’re shaking. When I was almost down a few minutes ago, you could’ve finished me off. Instead, you just gave me these little scrapes. I think I know why.”

He snorted contemptuously. “Are you going to say I couldn’t bring myself to kill you?”

“That’s part of it. But there’s more. You’re worried that if you beat me, you’ll have to go fight Yellow Bolt. You’re not sure you want to go through with this, not if it means hurting your brother again. Even after everything you’ve done, all the barriers you’ve tried to raise around your heart, you still love him.”

The dark red stallion broke eye contact for a moment, glancing quickly to the ground. In that moment of silent hesitation, Lightning pressed on. “I’ve seen guys like you, who try to act like they don’t care.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.”

“Yes, I do. I used to be like that. When my parents ditched my little sister and me, I told myself that I wouldn’t care about anypony or anything ever again. I just partied my life away, never thinking about my sister or the other ponies around me. I buried my feelings so I wouldn’t have to face how I really felt. So I wouldn’t have to go through the pain of loving someone only to lose them again.” Lightning scowl deepened as he stared down the unicorn. “That’s no different from what you’re doing right now. Trying to stick with your father by swallowing how much you love Yellow. Let me tell you from experience, ignoring your heart, trying not to feel, it doesn’t make it hurt less. It just causes more pain. You can’t turn off your heart.”

Crimson was speechless, feeling miniscule under Lightning’s blue piercing gaze. His bow had slipped from his magical grasp, as his eyes thundered with uncertainty. Deftly and without a sound, Lightning levitated an arrow behind Crimson and readied the arrow nocked in his bow, as he continued to speak.

“If you really love him, then stop this.”

“I—we…” Crimson bit his lip and picked up his bow. “We can’t. We’ve come too far.”

“You can always turn back.”

Crimson’s eyes narrowed at the choice of words. He pivoted around as the arrow came flying, drew his sword, and with a single swipe, batted it away.

Lightning leapt forward with his hoof drawn back to strike. Crimson turned his foil on him, when he noticed a layer of ice covering the center of his blade. Then, he realized Lightning’s target was never him, but his sword. His eyes darted to Lightning, too late to stop the next arrow that raced from his bow into the ice covered blade, too late to stop the ice-brittle blade from snapping half, and far too late to block Lightning’s hoof from connecting with his jaw. Crimson flew a few feet before falling to the floor in a groaning heap.

“And keep going forward with an open heart.”

“Cheap shot,” wheezed Crimson, unable to pick himself back up.

“I grew up without parents in a rundown neighborhood. You can’t blame a guy for learning to fight dirty.”

“No, I meant using words against me. That’s a cheap shot.”

“Like I said before, I learned how to fight dirty.”

Crimson’s eyes stared blankly into the sky, covered by the magical dome of light. “Can’t believe you know me better than I do.”

“I’ve been where you are now; stuck in past pain,” Said Lightning. “I got out. So can you.”

The dark red stallion blinked, regarding Lightning for a moment. “Please, save Yellow.” His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell unconscious.

Lightning took a moment to breathe before turning to the spot where he last saw Spike. Before he could race over to him, he saw a burst of magical energy come from the wall in front of him where he last saw Silver Shine. He looked from the wall that covered Spike and then the wall that hid Silver, debating where to go first. In the end, he realized Silver was facing a unicorn of untold magical power. He needed help more than Spike, or he might not last much longer.

“Just hold out a little bit longer, Spike,” whispered Lightning, before heading towards the magical explosion.

He felt like tennis ball getting launched around the field by a force far stronger than his own. Spike’s vision went red as he slammed into the wall once again. He ducked, before Iron Bolt’s hoof turned the place where his head was a few seconds ago into a crater. Grabbing arrows from his quiver he jabbed Iron Bolt’s side. Even as it connected and the ice spread across the titan’s flesh, Iron Bolt didn’t seem to even notice or care. He simply turned around and smacked Spike with a back-hoof, sending him into another wall.

Spike fell to the ground, but wasted no time pulling himself back up. He quickly sent three more ice arrows at Iron Bolt, managing to catch the stallion by surprise. As the arrows froze his chest, he staggered back a few feet. His stormy eyes glared at Spike through the slits of his mask. He wasn’t used to prey that didn’t go down in a single blow, much less one that fought back so persistently. Spike was built tougher than the average dragon.

“How can you enjoy this?” asked Spike through swollen lips. “How could you possibly like hurting anyone who’s never done a thing to you? How can you enjoy hurting my friends?”

Using his massive hooves, Iron Bolt shaved off chunks of the ice on his chest. As the last shard fell, Spike saw his eyes morph into a sick expression. Even though he couldn’t see his face, he could tell beneath that mask, Iron Bolt wore a massive, sinister grin. And Spike could tell instantly, he didn’t simply enjoy this; he reveled in the misery, laughing to himself at each bone he broke and each tear that was shed. All at once Spike felt a rage building deep within his heart. Before he could even think, he fired an arrow directly at Iron Bolt’s neck. The stallion shifted a few inches, managing to avoid the worst of the ice arrow, which spread an icy layer across the left side of his neck.

“You’re a monster,” Spike said nocking another arrow. “You’ll just keep hurting others unless I bring you down.”

His next attack struck Iron’s chest. But through the pain and the ice hissing across his skin, Iron Bolt was grinning even more. He leapt forward and came down hard. Spike barely managed to dart out of the way before the stallion left a massive crater where he once stood. He had his claws on another arrow in his quiver, but Iron Bolt, despite his bulk, was fast. He raced forward with an outstretched hoof, catching Spike right in the chest. Then, he finished his swing and sent the dragon flying into another wall, crashing with a thump that made many ponies flinch as he hit the ground.

But Spike wouldn’t stay down. He was just as driven as Iron Bolt. As the stallion came stomping into him, Spike felt that burning rage growing through his entire being. A hoof came down to crush Spike’s skull, but Spike didn’t move. The blow echoed through the arena like a hammer splitting rock. Iron Bolt stared at the dragon, stupefied. Somehow, Spike had lifted his hand and stopped Iron Bolt’s hoof. Blocking the blow jarred his arm, sending tremors through his muscles, but pain seemed like a distant thought. His claws dug directly into Iron Bolt’s skin, drawing droplets of blood.

He took a deep breath and exhaled flames directly at the stallion’s mask-covered face. Iron managed to duck, but the tip of his left ear was completely singed. With his free hoof, he pounded Spike’s stomach, loosening the dragon’s grip on his hooves enough to slip his other hoof free. As Iron readied a second blow, the little dragon drew his open fist back and uppercut punched. The blow was powerful, rocking his entire head and sending flashes of red through his vision. Iron Bolt was taken aback by the strength behind the punch. If he hadn’t braced himself, that could have knocked him out or worse. He jumped back, but took an ice arrow to his left shoulder. As the icy pain spread over his muscles, Iron realized Spike was far stronger than he looked for his size. A fierce archery training regiment must have strengthened his inherently powerful draconic muscles to incredible levels.

Their stormy eyes locked, like the collision of two hurricanes. Beneath his expressionless mask, Iron Bolt had a twisted grin stretching across his face. He got what he wanted. Spike was ready to kill him in front of every citizen of Equestria.

White Bolt’s horn burst with red magical lightning that raced towards Yellow. The caramel stallion’s horn flashed yellow, and suddenly the blue lightning arced around Yellow Bolt harmlessly. The electric spell made a full-turn around Yellow before zooming back into the caster. White Bolt screamed as the spell sent waves of pain through his body, and the ground around him erupted into smoke.

His front hoof fell out from under him, causing his body to slump to the ground. White Bolt stared at his little brother, who looked more serene than possible in a fight. And it was that peaceful expression that infuriated him. Summoning his magic strength, White Bolt reared back his head, creating a giant pulsing orb at the tip of his horn. He threw his head forward sending the full force beam at Yellow. His brother’s horn sparked yellow, and a massive barrier formed around him. White Bolt watched as his magical attack, normally strong enough to destroy concrete and overpower magical barriers with ease, rammed into the shield spell, throwing up dust and grass.

White Bolt panted, exhausted, as he brought himself back to all four hooves. As the debris scattered from his magical burst kept falling, he searched for any trace of Yellow. For moments, nothing happened.

“Sorry, brother,” White Bolt said with a little bow of the head. “You had your chance.”

He saw something fly from the debris cloud, faster than he could react. An arrow struck his right front hoof, freezing his leg to the ground. Before he could even comprehend the pain, another arrow struck his left hoof and froze it to the ground.

“Tartarus! That’s cold!”

The debris settled, revealing Yellow Bolt in the exact same spot as before. White Bolt gawked with disbelief, sinking to the ground, falling so low he had to look up at Yellow.

“I hit you full force! How did your shield spell hold up?!”

Yellow flicked dirt off his shoulder, unimpressed. This gesture alone left White Bolt disheartened, realizing his spell didn’t even faze his opponent.

“I thought you studied magic,” Yellow Bolt said. “Don’t you remember the first rule of casting you ever taught me?”

“Of course. ‘A unicorn’s magic can increase or decrease proportionally to their emotions.’ What does that…?” White Bolt stopped mid-question. “Oh, I see.” He nodded and gave a rueful chuckle, yet it was clear he looked ready to vomit. “You’re drawing on your … love for Frost. That’s why your magic’s so powerful.”

“Sure. Call it love if you want to.” Yellow Bolt blushed, still embarrassed at the word. “But it’s more than that. You know that emotion rule of magic goes both ways. If the caster isn’t putting their heart into each spell, then it will only be cast at half power.”

“What?” White Bolt gasped, struck by Yellow’s implications. “Are you suggesting my heart isn’t in my every spell?”

“Even if you can’t admit it, I know you don’t want to hurt me. Or maybe, you don’t believe in your own cause as deeply as you thought. You can say otherwise, but your heart, or at least your magic, tells a different story.”

“Shut up,” growled White Bolt. His horn flashed red, sending a wave of heat to the ground that quickly melted his frozen hoofs. “Shut up!”

His horn flashed, turning his single bow into ten. “Take this!” White Bolt’s bows unleashed a flurry of arrows at Yellow Bolt from all directions. Yellow’s horn shimmered a peaceful sunset orange, releasing a powerful wave of heat across the field. Every arrow coming at him crumbled into ashes, every bow caught fire. White Bolt scrambled to save just one of his bows from the fire, cooling it with a reverse heating spell. He looked once again at Yellow in total disbelief. Somehow, his brother performed his own heating spell to even greater effect.

“I don’t understand,” said White Bolt. “You’re a nervous wreck who can’t stop crying. I’ve studied magic all my life. How could this happen?”

“I guess you don’t know your own heart as well as you thought.”

“But you,” he said between heaving gasps. “You still love our family. You should be struggling just as much as I am. How could you love Frost so much more than your own brothers?”

“You just don’t get it at all,” Yellow Bolt said as he pulled three arrows from his quiver and nocked a third one. “My magic is fueled not just by my feelings for Frost but by my feelings for you guys as well.”

“You’re using your love for us to fuel the magic you use to fight us? What nonsense are you talking about? That shouldn’t even be possible.”

“I love the White Bolt I remember.” Yellow Bolt found a smile spreading across his face, content at the memories. “He taught me levitation and illumination spells. He helped me with a science project that he knew nothing about and got glue stuck in his fur. He protected me from bullies at school and got a suspension for giving one of my bullies a black eye. He who spent hours trying to explain sines, cosines, and tangents so I could get an A in math and Ms. Roots would stop belittling my lack of math skills. The White Bolt who let me hang out with his team during his Equestria Games on the field itself. That’s the White Bolt I remember. Call me delusional, or just a fool, but that’s the White Bolt I know you are. To protect that White Bolt, I’ll gladly take you down.

Yellow magically gripped his three arrows and sent them racing at his brother. He made the arrows circle White Bolt like gnats, whirling around him so fast he couldn’t hope to keep up. The arrows grazed his body, each touch spreading a layer of ice across his form. Even as the unicorn lashed out against, the ice kept spreading. In a matter of seconds, he was encased in a block of solid ice.

Yellow walked over to White Bolt’s frozen form and cast a small heating spell, melting away the ice surrounding his face. As his brother gasped and coughed for air, Yellow returned his three arrows to his quiver. White Bolt tried to move his body, but found the ice too thick. Yellow’s horn shone once again, spreading a second wave of warmth into White Bolt’s body without melting ice. That sense of warmth lingered, preventing frostbite. The pale stallion took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

“Why did you spare me?” White Bolt asked. “I poisoned Honey Charm, I threatened Frost. Don’t you hate me?”

“If you think I don’t hate you after everything you’ve done, you’re crazier than Pinkie Pie. … but I guess,” Yellow shrugged. The scowl he wore on his face softened into a self-critical expression. “I don’t know. It sounds stupid, and it makes me sound hopeless. I guess I care too much about you. More than I could ever hate you.”

White Bolt’s eyes welled with tears, he gritted his teeth, trying to swallow back all the burning mucus that was building in his nostrils. He gave in, and cried.

“I don’t deserve a brother as good as you. Yellow Bolt.” His tears continued to pour on as he struggled to look his brother in the eye. “You grew up in the same house as all us and yet...we couldn’t be more different. We turned into criminals and monsters, yet you managed to stay the same noble pony you always were. How?”

Yellow Bolt said nothing. He stared at his crying brother. As a smile crossed his face, he put a single hoof on White Bolt’s head. “Because I had a loving family, and I never forgot the kindness they showed me.”

“You mean Honey Charm?”

“I was actually talking about you guys, but yeah, her too. Now excuse me. I’ve got to go clean up our father’s mess.”

He turned around and was about to head to where he last saw his father, when a burst of green flames erupted over the wall adjacent to him. Even at this distance, he could feel the blistering heat raking his face.

“Yellow, wait,” Said White Bolt. “You can’t beat Iron Bolt. You know as well as I do that he’s deranged with grief.”

“He needs help.”

“How can you help someone who doesn’t want your help?”

“Remember when we were kids?” Yellow Bolt said without changing his expression. “Crimson looked after us when mom died, but I always felt like Iron Bolt kept us going. He was unwavering even after everything he suffered. His determination kept us all going. His smiles were the thing that kept Crimson from giving up completely, and got dad to eventually pick himself back up. It might not seem like it anymore, but I know there’s something in him worth saving. There has to be.”

“You feel bad for him.”

“Yeah.”

White Bolt looked away, unable to share Yellow’s optimism. “I wish I could agree. But there’s no saving him. Not anymore.”

“I know,” Yellow Bolt whispered. “But I have to try.”

Without another word, Yellow Bolt raced to the wall, leaving White Bolt alone in the block of ice. He sighed, tired of fighting. “You can try to save him, Yellow. But can you really save Iron Bolt from himself? He’s been dead inside ever since he watched mom die. Seeing it all happen, it just burned him away. Now, there’s not much left.”

“Tell me, did you look her in the eyes before you hit her? Did you even wonder if Starlight had friends waiting for her back home?”

Iron Bolt said nothing in response. He didn’t even smile with pleasure. He simply rolled his broad shoulders and cracked his neck, keeping his eyes locked on Spike, who had black smoke searing from his jaws.

“And what about Discord?”

Iron Bolt swished some spit inside his mouth, trying to dilute the bitter blood seeping from his red nostrils. Spike balled his fists, as the rage in his heart became overwhelming.

“And Yellow Bolt? Why did you beat him? Because your dad told you to?”

He tilted his head, curious why Spike would even mention Yellow.

“Say something!” Spike screamed as flames burst from his mouth. “Show me that there’s something in you worth saving!”

He kept staring at Spike, waiting for the dragon to make his move. Despite his injuries, he seemed entirely relaxed, but ready to spring at a moment’s notice.

Spike felt burning tears fall down his face. “I want to believe that there’s good in everyone, I really do. But you? I just can’t see anything worth saving. And I hate that. I hate that you’ve made me see another living being like this. I hate that you can make me hate you so completely. Because now, it means I could see others like this.”

He took a deep breath, sucking back his tears and calming himself. Then, Spike looked at Iron Bolt for any kind of response. The stallion loomed over him, his face hidden behind the expressionless mask.

“That thought terrifies me more than you; that I could ever see everypony only through such extremes. If I saw them like that, I’d never have given Yellow Bolt, Starlight, or Discord a chance.”

Tired of waiting, Iron Bolt leapt into the air and came down hard. Spike had a moment to jump back and unleash two arrows. One pierced Iron Bolt’s left fore hoof and while the other pierced his right fore hoof, the ice expanded within his limbs the pain finally registered in Iron Bolt, causing him to pause and wince. In this moment, Spike sent ice arrows at Iron Bolt’s remaining hoofs. He reached for an arrow, but found his quiver empty. Undeterred, he threw his bow aside and rushed forward with clenched fists. Iron Bolt would have broken free from the icy restraints but Spike’s first powerful fist connected with his gut. Then another fist slammed his chin, then his face, then his chest still sore from the ice arrows. Spike bared his claws, slashing between his punches as he mercilessly hammered the stallion.

“How do you enjoy this?!” Exclaimed Spike as his knuckles drew blood. “How can you love doing this?! Answer me!”

His mouth was frothing with flames so intense that Iron could feel their heat blistering his fur. Spike kept punching and clawing, lost in the act of violence. His attacks only stopped when he could no longer breathe. Iron Bolt seemed only slightly winded from Spike’s assault. Otherwise, he still held his head high and. Spike stooped over, exerted. For all his strength, he wasn’t a boxer and he was still just a kid. He had no hope of overwhelming Iron Bolt with brute force alone. Even he could see that now.

As Spike tried to catch his breath, Iron Bolt finally broke through the ice pinning down his hoofs. Freed, he leapt forward, ramming Spike with his shoulder and toppling the dragon over. He raised a hoof over Spike’s puny head and brought it down, aiming to crush his skull. Spike only just managed to roll away before the hoof slammed into the ground. Iron Bolt winced as his ice-covered hoofs impacted the ground. With ice arrows still embedded in his limbs, he knew he couldn’t pummel Spike with the same reckless abandon he had before. The pain would be too great.

As Spike scrambled to his feet, trying to escape, Iron Bolt stomped on Spike’s tail with his back hoof, causing the dragon to yelp. Then, he wrapped his hoof around Spike’s neck, aiming to strangle him. The dragon struggled, clawing at Iron Bolt’s powerful grip. But Iron Bolt wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to see the life vanish from Spike’s eyes. After releasing his stranglehold, he grabbed Spike’s face between his frozen hoofs and head-butted him, once, twice. Even as his own vision flashed red with pain, he could feel Spike becoming immobile, dazed from the beatings. Mighty hoofs squeezed Spike’s temples, threatening to crush his head like a grape.

Spike’s claws groped against Iron Bolt’s hoofs, as though he were trying to pry apart his mighty grip. Iron Bolt would have laughed at the pathetic sight, but something felt off. Somehow, he had a strange notion that Spike wasn’t trying to break free, that he had some other goal. His suspicions were confirmed when Spike’s claws wrapped around the shafts of the ice arrows stuck in Iron Bolt’s hoofs. In a single motion, he ripped out the arrows and rammed them back in. As the arrowheads burst out the other side of his skin, ice seeped through Iron Bolt’s limbs, causing him to drop Spike and shriek with pain. His skin was stinging, burning, beginning to swell. His hoofs fumbled at the ice arrows, but any slight touch sent further pain through his body. He fell to his side, writhing in agony. Spike had dragged himself a few feet away, picking up four scattered ice arrows and his bow. He took aim and pinned Iron Bolt’s hoofs to the ground once again.

The bow slipped from Spike’s claws. He was too frightened and bursting with adrenaline to even hold it. Iron Bolt was now lying flat against the ground, heaving through broken bones and a bloody nose. This time, he couldn’t break free. Spike opened his fists and looked down at his bloody palms. He saw something on the ground at his feet: a white mask stained red. Iron Bolt must have lost it at some point in their scuffle and neither of them realized it. Then he looked up and stared into Iron Bolt’s unmasked face with revulsion.

Across the dark grey stallion’s face, stretching from under one eye all the way above the other was an old jagged burn scar where a dragon’s flames scarred him. His skin was peeled, blistering black and red all the way from his left cheekbone to the base of his chin. The scars practically disrupted his grey face, destroying what had once been a charming, youthful grin. A second scar, three parallel claw marks, lined his throat laterally. This close up without any fighting, Spike finally had a good look at Iron Bolt’s horn: jagged, chipped in several places. Iron Bolt’s eyes were still stormy with hatred and wrath, even as his teeth were stained with blood that seeped down into his grey-furred chin. He said nothing.

“Guess someone else messed you up, huh?” Spike said with empty eyes. “You get those beating up helpless baby dragons?”

For once, Iron Bolt broke eye contact for a split second. His eyes seemed to show some faint emotion, some trace of painful trauma at the mention of his destroyed face. For a moment, he was practically a baby; powerless, helpless, and desperate for his mother. When the moment passed, he was as stoic as ever.

“Crimson said a dragon killed his mother,” Spike said more to himself than anyone.

At the mention of this dragon and his mom, Iron Bolt’s eyes darkened with pain, visible, palpable sorrow. This reaction suddenly made something click in Spike’s mind. He had an idea why Iron Bolt was so spiteful towards dragons and anyone connected to them.

“You were with her the day it happened. The day the dragon hurt your mom and you got caught in the crossfire. Or maybe, she risked her life protecting you. That’s where you got those scars.”

Iron Bolt’s silence seemed different this time. There seemed to be an unspoken “yes” to Spike’s statement. A faint sound almost like a whimper came from Iron Bolt’s mouth. He clenched his eyes shut, lost for a moment in the memory. Then, his eyes burst open and he glared at the dragon with all of his stormy hatred.

“Funny this face never showed up in the old photographs that Yellow showed me. I’m guessing you used magic to cover this mess up?”

His lips swirled some spit inside his mouth. Without hesitation, he spat blood into Spike’s face, and flashed his broken, bloodied teeth in a grimace. Spike rubbed out the spit with his wrist. Despite Iron’s goading, Spike remained visibly unaffected. His eyes seemed to look on Iron Bolt with something akin to sympathy.

Iron Bolt growled, revolted that his enemy seemed to be taking so much pity on him. He stretched his neck, letting his necklace sporting Discord’s horn slide up his neck for the world to see. At the sight of this horn, Spike raised his fist, still tingling with jarred numbness from all those punches.

Iron Bolt still said nothing, heaving with ragged breaths as he refused to break eye contact. Slowly, the massive stallion tilted his head to one side, exposing his scarred neck before Spike. His fierce eyes locked onto Spike with a dire warning. “If you don’t end this now, I’ll keep coming after your friends. This cycle won’t end until one of us dies.” Spike stiffened, incensed that this creature had the audacity to threaten him in this state. A sick smile spread over Iron’s face as he glared at Spike, which all but drove him over the edge.

His claws were shaking, buzzing with an urge. The tips of his pointed claws shook with rage, a singular desire to end it all. He drew his hand back, brought down his claws.

We Believe in You. The message Rarity stitched into his arm brace took on a different meaning when it came into view with his descending claws. It wasn’t just a belief in his abilities, but a belief in his character. His claws stopped just short of Iron Bolt’s neck. He panted, breathless from his pulsing anger. Iron Bolt looked at Spike, waiting for the final blow. The longer Spike stared at the message stitched into his arm brace, the harder it became to follow through on his rage. Slowly, Spike let his hand slip open and released a deep breath. Then and there, he made a decision. He wouldn’t be the monster so many made him out to be. All at once his anger dissipated, becoming a distant hum in his thoughts.

“No.” With that single word, he fell to his knees. “No,” he whispered softly.

Iron Bolt stared at him through narrowed pupils. He was more furious than before, seeing that Spike didn’t even think him worthy of ending, and realizing Spike didn’t give in to his own hate. Wordlessly, the dragon stretched out his hand and grabbed the nearest ice arrow. He stared at the tip for a moment then at Iron Bolt, still hesitating. Then, he returned the arrow to his quiver and rose to his feet.

“I’ll never forgive you for hurting my friends,” Said Spike with a balled fist, clenched so tightly his claws throbbed. “But,” he released a deep breath, letting his claws uncurl and his fist open. “I’m sorry for what for what you’ve been through.”

Iron Bolt’s jaw made a slight movement before he spat on Spike’s face once again. The dragon simply wiped it off with the back of his hand.

“I can’t believe anyone is born this spiteful. Where did all this hate come from?” Spike wondered. “The Creed? His father? Fillydelphia? Those dragons that attacked his mother? Maybe, there’s no other way he could’ve turned out,” Spike realized with a heavy feeling on his chest. “There are probably hundreds of others like him. Until dragons and ponies can see eye to eye, there always will be violent extremists like him, on the ponies’ side or even the dragons’ side. The Creed, the dragons who attacked Fillydelphia Town Hall; they’re all a part of the same problem. But how do I stop all this hate in the world? Where do I even start?”

Something floated from his periphery vision in front of him. His bow, once discarded to the ground, suspended by an orange aura. He felt weight returning to his quiver. Looking back, he saw Yellow Bolt magically grabbing all the ice arrows scattered across the field and returning them to Spike’s quiver. He didn’t change his solemn expression or even smile. A small tear rolled down his face as he whispered, “Thank you.”

He regarded Yellow, once his enemy, rival, and now his friend, and felt a new wave of power washing over him. Spike reached out and took his bow from the magical aura. Then, he walked over to Yellow Bolt. The two stood there for a moment.

“You,” Yellow paused, as though he had so much he wanted to say and no idea how to say it all. “You look terrible.”

Spike shrugged. “How long were you there?”

“I got here just before you made a mistake. I would’ve shot you, you know.”

“To save your brother?”

“That’s part of it. But I didn’t want you to do something you could never take back.”

Spike nodded. “Thanks. Now come on. Silver needs our help.”

“Are you sure you’re good enough to keep going?”

“I can still stand and I can still use a bow. Right now, we need everyone out there.”

With that, he headed off to the other wall, feeling Iron Bolt’s burning glare across his back. He thought of all the things he wanted to say to Iron Bolt, to make him understand. “I feel sorry for you. But I can’t make myself un-hate you. And I don’t see how I can fix the hate in you. But, thankfully you’re nothing. Just a moment of hatred that will pass in the grand scheme of time, when ponies wake up and realize how hideous your hatred is. For all your efforts to send the world back to a time when dragons weren’t welcome in Equestria, you’ve only spurred me to keep going. You’ve given me a clear vision of what I have to overcome. And as long as there are good people in this world willing to stand up for what’s right and persist, you’ll never win.”

Instead of saying all of this, he paused just a moment and looked back at Iron with a sad, pitying expression. Iron Bolt’s body tensed, trying to rise up and keep fighting, but he no longer had the strength to break the ice pinning down his hoofs.

“How proud can you really be of what you’re doing,” Said Spike, “when you’re the one hiding behind a mask?” Iron Bolt’s eyes seethed with hatred, practically oozing it from his stormy gaze like the blood dripping from his nose. Spike tried to hold the image of Iron Bolt almost crying in his mind as he kept walking to the wall. That almost made it easier to swallow his own hate.

He heard a jarring sound like a cannon, before the wall in front of him cracked, forming massive fractures across its surface. Then, it crumbled to the ground, kicking up dust and particles. As the dust cleared, Spike and Yellow saw Arrow Bolt, his horn practically smoking from the aftermath of his powerful spell. He looked upon the two newcomers with disinterest.

“I see you managed to defeat my two acolytes. Impressive. Hopefully, you’ll at least put up a better fight than these two,” Said Arrow Bolt as he walked towards them.

Spike glanced at the ground and saw Silver Shine and Lightning Star collapsed on the field, buried in piles of rubble and uprooted soil. Neither one seemed to be moving.

Slowly, lazily, Arrow Bolt drew back his bowstring. An electrical, pulsing beam formed from the string. The projectile soared from his bow, leaving an arc of light in its wake as it screamed through the air. Spike and Yellow Bolt jumped apart, letting the arrow slip by them. Both of them nocked an arrow, but the electrical beam bounced off the wall behind them, splitting in two before striking them both in the back. The powerful blast sent Spike reeling forward while Yellow gritted his teeth as the pain cackled through his body.

As the blast’s pain began to subside, Spike dragged himself back up, thanking his thick scales for their protection. Yellow Bolt sadly looked weakened by the blast, but he refused to lie down. That gave Spike enough motivation to take aim at Arrow Bolt once again.

“Is that the best you can do?” Growled Spike while still biting back against some of the lingering pain in his chest.

His eyes flashed with a crimson aura, and suddenly Arrow Bolt had fifty identical bows, each with a pulsing electrical beam, trained at the two archers. The beams crackled in their bows, creating a chorus of chirping thunder.

Yellow looked at Spike with a sardonic, flat-eyed glare. “You just had to ask.”

“This is the power of Sir Knight!” Arrow Bolt’s deep voice roared over the thunder-cackling arrows. “I will show you heathens where you belong. Beneath my hoofs!”

“Dude, you are fifty shades of crazy,” muttered Spike.

“He’s got lightning arrows pointed at us. It’s not exactly the best time to go mouthing off, Spike,” Yellow said pointedly while trying to muster willpower for a powerful spell. “Now get back here!”

Spike took a tentative step backwards. All at once, the projectiles screeched through the air towards them. Yellow Bolt jumped in front of Spike, his horn shimmering as he cast his most powerful shield spell. The fifty beams bounced off his shield, but then bounced off the walls and split in two before arcing right back at them. They hammered the shield, pounding the inside like a drum with each impact. In a mere minute there were possibly a thousand beams ramming into the spell. Yellow Bolt grit his teeth, clenching his eyes shut as he tried to push through the multiplying pain.

Through the beams of light bouncing into the shield and off the walls, Spike caught a glimpse of Arrow Bolt standing motionless with his horn shining. His eyes widened with a new thought. Were these bolts just magic? Not real holy arrows or whatever?

“Yellow,” said Spike as he took aim at Arrow Bolt. “When I say now, drop the shield.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but we’re in danger of being fried by some crazy lightning arrows.”

“I think it’s just magic. If I shoot him, he’ll either have to cast his own shield spell and stop this attack, or he’ll have to take the arrows.”

“What?”

“He put magic sealing spells on Starlight and Discord, right? How much magic energy can he really have left?”

“Given our current position, enough to obliterate us in an instant.”

“You got a better idea?”

“You’re taking a big gamble here,” said Yellow through a groan as a new wave of beams hammered the shield. “Make it count.”

As the beams arced off the shield, Spike gave Yellow the command. The caramel stallion let the shield shatter, slipped to his knee and closed his eyes, waiting for the beams to return and strike them in full force. Spike quickly sent three ice arrows soaring through the field, directly at Arrow Bolt. All around them, the beams were bouncing off the walls again, racing to crush him and Yellow.

Arrow gave a little snort. He shifted slightly to the left, letting the first ice arrow slip by him. But then, he saw the second and third ice arrows coming straight at his face. He realized the dragon shot them both within the second, aiming the second arrow where he guessed Arrow would dodge. Unable to move further, Arrow Bolt panicked. As predicted, he cast a shield spell, managing to stop Spike’s arrows. However, his moment of reprieve was short as he realized the moment the shield spell rose, the beams of light attacking the two archers dissipated into thin air.

Yellow opened his eyes and stared in disbelief. “You were right.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I guess the old saying’s true. A broken clock is right twice a day.”

“Gee, thanks.” Said Spike with a slight scowl. “I thought we were friends now.”

“Sorry. Old habits.”

They faced Arrow Bolt whose shield spell slipped back to the ground.

“I figured it out,” Said Spike pointing a claw at the old archer. “Everything you’ve done with these arrows, these bows, this wall, it’s not some holy Sir Kite spirit—”

“Sir Knight,” Yellow corrected Spike.

“Hey, don’t interrupt me when I’m about to make a big reveal,” he muttered briefly before turning his attention back to Arrow Bolt. “As I was saying, everything you’ve done is just regular old unicorn magic. You’re just passing it all off as some sort of Sir Knight power. You’re just a fraud, an ordinary unicorn with delusions of grandeur.”

Arrow Bolt didn’t react to Spike’s claim at first. But then, he let out a little chuckle. “Rest assured, I am no ordinary unicorn. Can an ordinary unicorn do this?” He gestured to the time freeze barrier above them. “Can an ordinary unicorn overpower the Spirit of Chaos? Can an ordinary unicorn unite so many followers with a single goal?”

“I’m guessing sealing Starlight and Discord’s magic took more out of you than you’re willing to admit,” Continued Spike. “Otherwise, you would’ve just cast another magic sealing spell on Yellow.”

“That’s right,” Yellow said with a sudden realization. “If he wanted to end this quickly, he could’ve just cast that spell on any unicorn here. But he didn’t. If he wanted to make a clear show to his followers that he’s the best, it doesn’t make sense to drag this out. Judging by the ice arrows scattered across the field,” Yellow gestured to the spots of ice and arrow shafts, “You fought both Silver and Lightning. You didn’t seal their magic.”

Arrow Bolt’s eye twitched angrily, betraying that Yellow Bolt’s assumption was correct.

Spike smirked. “There’s a limit to how much magic you can seal, isn’t there? Or how long you can seal it.”

“I get it.” Yellow said. “That’s why you had to put Starlight in the hospital and why you had to torture Discord. Otherwise, they could stop you as soon as your spell wore off.”

“Infidel! What do you know of my magic?”

“Plenty. I’m number one assistant to the element of magic, Princess Twilight Sparkle. I have some grasp on the principles behind spellcasting.”

“And White Bolt taught me almost everything I know,” said Yellow. “He studied magic for years.”

“Enough of this nonsense! You will pay dearly for your arrogance.” Arrow Bolt’s horn began to hum as the air cackled around him. Fifty bows became a hundred bows, with a hundred arrows nocked and ready.

“Hey, Spike,” Yellow swallowed nervously, former bravado completely extinguished. “Not to question your theory but my dad was never this powerful before. Don’t suppose you can explain where he’s drawing all this power from?”

“I have no idea.”

“Great. So for all we know he is possessed by the spirit of Sir Knight. And we’re both going to die.”

“Now would be a good time for a shield.”

“I used up too much strength on the first one.”

“Of course. I should’ve known my luck would run out sooner or later. Get behind me.”

Yellow Bolt barely managed to take cover before Arrow Bolt unleashed a hail of arrows at the two archers.

Rainbow Dash watched the screen turn black, obscured by the shadow of a hundred arrows. She pounded her hoof to the ground, infuriated she couldn’t do a thing. She wanted to act out and pummel these hooded ponies, but then she thought about Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie trapped in the time seal spell. She had no idea what that Arrow Bolt would to them if she stepped out of line. And then there was Discord, still lying unconscious at their hooves. If there was a scuffle, he could get hurt even worse.

So for now, she and the rest of the athletes watched as their friends fought. She trembled furiously.

“I can’t stand by much longer,” She whispered with intensity. “I have to do something.”

“Wait, my little impulsive friend.” She, Applejack, and Fluttershy recognized the voice. They looked down to find Discord staring at them through half-open eyes with a half-smile. All the pain and exhaustion in his eyes vanished; the injuries dotting his body were an elaborate ruse, a sort costume.

“Discord? You’re okay.” Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief. “I was so worried.”

“Shh.” He whispered. “Sorry to worry you, but I figured playing possum was the best way to learn their plans.”

“What do you mean?” Said Applejack.

“I thought if I let them think they completely depowered me, perhaps they’d bring me to their base and monologue their plans. You know, classic bad guy 101.”

“So, you’re not actually hurt?”

“Au contraire, those two did a number on me. When the ugly one ambushed me, I thought I could handle it, but then that ‘Sir Knight’ snuck up behind me and used that magic-sealing spell of his. My body’s fine. Bruised and battered, but I’m basically fine.”

“Wait,” Rainbow Dash frowned. “So do you still have your magic or not?”

“Please, give me some credit. Arrow might be powerful but he’s no Twilight. He could only seal three quarters of my magic power. That being said, I’ve lost far too much magic to end this with a simple finger snap.”

“Then end it by, I don’t know, clapping your hands or something.” Rainbow looked about ready to rip her mane out as she made demands towards the Spirit of Chaos.

“As amusing as that sounds, I’ve lost too much magic. Besides, what fun would that be?”

“These monsters want to kill Spike! Is that fun to you?!”

“Shh, don’t yell at me. I’m unconscious, remember?”

They glanced around, hoping nopony noticed. Everyone had their eyes on the screen, watching the battle unfold. Rainbow Dash leaned down and whispered in Discord’s ear.

“I’m serious. If you can stop this—”

“Ever played poker? You don’t show them all the cards in your hand till you know you’ve won. And you must commit to a bluff if you want them to believe it.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I have a different plan in mind. One that aligns much more with my chaotic designs.”

“What?”

“Just wait. It will make this so much more delicious.”

“What are you waiting for exactly?”

“The perfect moment. When I know the source of his magic power.”

With that, Discord closed his eyes and slumped to the ground, sticking out his tongue theatrically. Rainbow Dash gave a long snort.

“Blasted Discord. Has to talk through all this cryptic nonsense.” She looked up at the screen as the dust finally began to clear and the shadows of three figures came into view. “This ‘moment’ better come soon. Or Spike won’t last much longer.”

Panting, Spike watched the ashes of the arrows sprinkle the field like snowdrops. Through the ashes, Arrow Bolt golden shield spell fell, revealing the green flames hadn’t even touched him.

“Using your fire breath to destroy my arrows,” said Arrow Bolt. “Not bad. But I wonder how you’ll stop 200 arrows.”

“I guess…” Spike said between his heaving breaths. “I’ll just have to catch the other hundred.”

The dark green stallion’s eyes narrowed, unamused and annoyed.

“Bravado aside, Spike,” Yellow said with weary eyes. “We’re barely scraping by.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look,” Yellow pointed a hoof at his father. “He hasn’t moved a single step since this fight started.”

“So? He doesn’t have to move any for us to beat him.” Spike felt the blood staining his knuckles harden, pinching his scales as a reminder that he was barely winning.

“Maybe, I can reason with him.”

Spike looked apprehensive at the idea, seeing how Arrow Bolt seemed well beyond the point of reason.

Noticing Spike’s skeptical glance, Yellow said, “Do you have a better idea?”

He was too to argue much less think up a plan. “Alright , but I don’t think you can reach him given the way he is now.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try. DAD!” Yellow Bolt looked his father in the eyes without drawing an arrow or indicating any intent of violence. “Just stop this please. You’re not well. We can help you.”

“You’re the one who needs help, you freak,” Arrow Bolt said as his horn flared with a golden aura. “Of all my mistakes, you are by far my greatest disappointment.”

“Dad, please.” Even after all these years, his father’s harsh words still cut his heart. “If White Bolt still cared about me, you should too. Let’s stop fighting and just talk.”

A strange alien expression flickered through Arrow Bolt’s eyes. He seemed hesitant for a moment. The hundred bows hanging over his head dissipated into just two. Yellow let himself feel optimistic, for just a moment. Then, Arrow’s expression hardened and the bows were loaded with pulsing arrows. The first arrow flew between Yellow and Spike, triggering a magical explosion that flew them both across the field. The second arrow came at Yellow Bolt, splitting into two arrows, then four, then eight, multiplying as the volley raced towards the archer. Spike leapt to his feet, unleashing a torrent of flames and burning the arrows before they could touch Yellow.

Turning his back on Arrow was a mistake, giving his opponent another chance to send another arrow right at Spike. But the older stallion didn’t count on Spike being quick enough to turn around and catch his arrow, and in a single motion, send it and three ice arrows right back.

Spike watched with some gratification as the first arrow cut across Arrow Bolt’s cheek, inflicting a long scar across his cheekbone. However, his joy turned sour as the ice arrows stopped in midair, trapped by Arrow Bolt’s magical aura. He fired a second arrow volley at Yellow, who had just risen back to his hooves as he flipped the ice arrows around and send them soaring into Spike. Like angry hornets the arrows circled him, encasing his body in ice with each graze. Spike struggled, blowing fire at the arrows and trying to stop the spread of ice, but found he couldn’t keep pace. Yellow watched helplessly behind his shield spell as the ice arrows created a prison of ice with Spike at the center, frozen solid.

Yellow made Spike’s mistake of letting Arrow Bolt out of his constant gaze, giving him the chance to form another powerful magical arrow. The arrow crashed into Yellow’s shield, shattering it. Stunned from the impact, Yellow skidded back. He and Arrow managed to nock their bows and fire at the same time. As they came into contact, however, the arrow approaching Yellow shined with a red aura, effortlessly slicing through Yellow’s arrow, cutting through Yellow’s bow before embedding itself deeply into the young archer’s shoulder.

Howling in pain, Yellow fell to his back and put his hoof on his shoulder. While the wound wasn’t fatal, it would hinder his movement and worse still, he was now backed into a corner. His father’s violet, unforgiving gaze stared right through him, turning him back into that powerless fifteen year old child, incapable of speaking. Try as he might, he was too terrified to summon the magical energy just to cast a shield. Arrow Bolt took steps towards him, nocking a final magical arrow. Outside of the maze, the hooded ponies were cheering so loud their voices rocked through the walls. They wanted to see him die. Yellow rolled from his back onto his hoofs. He decided then and there that if he really was going to die, he’d do it facing his father. So he met his father’s eyes. One last time.

“You know,” said Arrow Bolt as he drew back his bow. “I always hoped that with this power I could finally fix you. But there’s no fixing something so broken.”

Yellow watched numbly as his father unleashed the bowstring. He watched as the arrow raced to pierce his heart. Then, he felt someone touch him. Suddenly, his body was on top of the wall. He looked to his right, and saw Silver Shine resting a hoof across his back. The grey stallion panted as he stared down at his old rival.

“You’re wrong, Arrow,” said the veteran. “Yellow Bolt doesn’t need fixing. Because he was never broken to begin with.”

Arrow Bolt scoffed. “I seem to recall you shooting him in the back during Arrow Tag. Why defend him now?”

“There’s a big difference between backstabbing someone in a safe competition and murdering them!” Silver exclaimed as Yellow cast a spell duplicating Silver’s bow. With this replica, he took aim at his father, emboldened by Silver’s presence.

“But the action underlies your utter contempt for him. As I understand, you’ve shown him nothing but contempt, insulting him at every turn, refusing to help him. You didn’t even tell him there would be an Arrow Tag match.”

Yellow, fully aware that Silver indeed had shown him little respect over the years, felt his shoulders drooping.

“I was ignorant. Thinking Yellow was just a spoiled, talentless brat and a narcissist who wanted to pick a fight with everyone he met. I never should’ve looked down on him, not when you’ve put him through so much suffering. I … I let myself think heartlessly during that match. I—”

“That’s all very sweet,” said Arrow Bolt. “But that won’t save him, or you for that matter.”

He nocked another arrow and sent it at Silver. Suddenly, another arrow came flying and knocked Arrow’s projectile out of the air. He turned around to the source of the attack to find Lightning Star aiming his bow at him, through a swollen black eye.

“You can still fight?”

“I’m left-eye dominant,” said Lightning. “You got my right eye.”

“As I was saying,” Silver continued, “I should’ve been the father Yellow needed. And starting right now, I’ll do everything in my power to protect him from you.”

“Cute, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve beaten the one I came here to beat.” Arrow Bolt pointed a hoof at Spike, encased in a block of ice. “Hear me, Equestria! There is only one Sir Knight! One champion archer! And it is not this pretender! This abomination, BUT ME!”

But before he could launch into another speech, a light began to glow from the ice block surrounding Spike. His arm guard pulsed with a purple aura that gave a palpable hum. All at once, it burst with a wave of magical energy. The ice shattering, flying into the air, as Spike emerged gasping for air. He fell to his knees, trying to breathe. Everyone stared, trying to make sense of what just happened. Then, he looked down at his arm guard. He knew that magic aura, he heard her voice as the ice shattered, but he could scarcely believe it was really him.

On his arm guard, where there was once a stitching of a roaring dragon, now there was a roaring dragon with yellow eyes, red pupils, and a wispy goatee.

“Am I hallucinating? Did I die?” He asked still groggy and numb from the ice prison.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” The dragon stitching had its jaw moving as the voice came through the guard in a whisper, so soft only he could hear. “No, you’re not dead, and yes, it’s really me. I used quite a bit of my remaining power to break the ice. You’re welcome.”

“Discord.”

His friend’s yellow eyes seemed to twinkle at the name. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions. But now’s not the time. Just know that I’m basically fine, but I don’t have enough magical power left to stop this fight. I need you to do something for me.”

Spike’s hands trembled as he sputtered for air, trying to support his weight. He felt close to falling onto the ground and just falling asleep. He gave a weak smile before another wave of coughing broke through his chest. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m sure you have your reasons. What do you need me to do?”

“Straight to business? I like it. Now, don’t let anyone know I’m here. Stand up and look powerful. Tell Arrow something that will shake his confidence, like ‘I guess we know who the real pretender is now.’ Then, get as close to him as you can. I think I know the source of his magical energy but I need to confirm it. I need to see what he has on his neck, under that robe.”

Spike nodded. With that, Spike rose to his feet and lifted his gaze, training his serpentine glare on Arrow Bolt. Nonchalantly, he brushed ice off his shoulder and cracked his neck.

“Well,” he said, trying to make his voice sound deeper. “I guess we know who the real pretender is now.”

“How did you do that?” Demanded Arrow Bolt. “What do you mean by pretender?”

Lacking a decent comeback, Spike nocked an arrow and fired at him. Arrow shielded himself, but Spike kept firing with each step he ran. The other archers joined in, bombarding Arrow from every direction possible. With Silver teleporting across the field and littering an arrow in every way he could, Arrow Bolt had to keep his eyes darting across the field just to keep up. Yellow Bolt used his magic to levitate arrows at Silver, darting and circling around him and testing his shields for any weaknesses, their pestering motions kept Arrow from firing any counterattack. Lightning’s incredible blitz of ice arrows hammered the magic spell with the force of a literal wrecking ball, chipping away at the spell’s integrity with each passing millisecond. With these three occupying Arrow’s attention, Spike raced forward with his arm guard ready by his bow hand. He switched the bow back to his open hand and drew back the arm guard with his claws ready.

Lightning’s eyes narrowed, concentrating on the perfect weak spot in the shield. Then, he found it; a blurry, wobbly, unsteady section of the shield, right where Spike was charging. His arrow hail struck the weak spot, bursting open the shield and creating a gap. Spike broke through and dragged his claws across Arrow’s cloak, ripping it enough to expose a chain around his neck. At the end of that chain was an amulet, laced with a single glowing red crystal.

Arrow Bolt’s horn blasted with a magical pulse, sending Spike backwards into the distant wall, and knocking each archer onto the ground. Fortunately, the attack was cast in a panic, so it lacked any real power. Spike got up immediately, watching as Arrow Bolt glared at him. With a single spell, the cloak mended itself.

“I knew it. He has a magical amulet,” Exclaimed Discord. “Like the Alicorn Amulet Trixie used to beat Twilight. That’s the source of his power! That’s how he made that magic-sealing spell so powerful!”

“If we take it off him, that should undo the spell on you and Starlight? And it’ll set Twilight free from the time-freeze curse?”

“Maybe. But if it’s anything like the amulet Trixie used, it’s probably protected by an enchantment. I’d wager it has similar properties to that Alicorn Amulet. In which case, only the user can take it off.”

“Can’t I just rip the chain?”

“If you want to face a magical backlash which could kill you, yes. Be my guest.”

“But you don’t know if it has that restriction for sure. You just think it does.”

“Yes. And even if it doesn’t, Arrow Bolt’s certainly cast some sort of spell to keep anyone else from taking it off him. Ponies with that kind of power always become paranoid. Without knowing for sure, you can’t risk it. And neither should your friends.”

“So, really, knowing this doesn’t help us at all.”

“Oh, come now. It helps a great deal. You can show his followers what he really is: a senile, old stallion, deluded by an evil amulet.”

“And then what?”

“Get him to bring down this maze and the barrier so that I—.”

His voice cut short as an arrow pierced the wall just above Spike’s head. When he looked back down at the arm guard, he could no longer see Discord’s face. His spell must have worn off. But he had his orders. He knew what to do next. Rising to his feet, he raised his voice above the arrows and magic spells.

“I know what you are, Arrow Bolt!” He exclaimed. “You’re no destined, all powerful hero! You’re just a liar wearing a magical amulet!”

Arrow Bolt glared at Spike, sending a powerful stream of magic his way. Spike rolled to the side, just managing to avoid the spell. From the top of the wall, Silver and Yellow exchanged amazed expressions. So many questions, so many unexplained years were finally adding up.

“Lies!” Screamed Arrow Bolt as he reared back his head and sent another magical blast at Spike. “Sir Knight’s spirit entered this body upon Arrow Bolt’s death. It brought him back to life!”

“Stop lying,” Yellow screamed from his position. “You’re no legend. And you didn’t come back from death.”

“How can you deny what your eyes plainly see?”

“Because you were never dead,” Silver said between teleportations. “Twilight asked me who was the undertaker at your funeral. I didn’t know what to think of the question at first, but then it made sense. You always talked about how you were Sir Knight, so why not become him? With the right medicine, I bet you got the undertaker to help so you could claim you’d risen from the grave through the spirit of Sir Knight.”

“And any amateur magic student could use a spell to alter their voice,” Lightning chimed in as he sent another arrow barrage at the defensive stallion.

“Face it,” Said Spike as he nocked an arrow. “You’re just a deluded stallion masquerading as a legend.”

“Laying it on a bit thick there, Spike,” muttered Yellow Bolt, despite agreeing with every word his friend said.

“If you were really so powerful,” Spike smirked as he pointed a claw at the stallion trembling with rage, “You wouldn’t need that amulet to beat us.”

“An insult meant to jibe me into removing the amulet? Adorable.” Arrow Bolt said through deceptively calm eyes. “However, responding to your insults is beneath me.”

“Just stop it,” Yellow Bolt growled. “We know your secret, dad. We know how to beat you and we outnumber you. The odds aren’t in your favor anymore.”

Yellow sent an ice arrow directly into Arrow Bolt’s shoulder. Distracted by Spike’s words, he was too slow to cast a shield spell. But as the ice expanded inside his muscles, Arrow Bolt stopped trembling with rage. His exterior became as serene and motionless as still water. He brushed his shoulder where the arrow struck, closing his eyes for a moment.

“There could be a hundred of you, you could know everything about me, you could tell my followers all your sad little lies,” said Arrow Bolt with his eyes still closed. “But it still wouldn’t make a difference.”

“You know, your boasting is getting real old,” grumbled Spike.

The cloaked stallion then did something so unexpected that Spike almost stopped thinking, transfixed by the incredible action. He laughed. The old stallion threw back his head and laughed, hysterically.

“Oh, little worm,” he said with a rueful headshake. “You mistake boasting with fact.”

His eyes flashed open, beaming with red energy. Wind pushed outward from him as powerful magic energy flooded the air. It burst from Arrow Bolt’s body in a ray of red light, gushing straight into the sky. The magic power broke through the clouds, pushing them across the horizon. The afternoon sky darkened like night. Spike felt like he was standing beneath a mountain’s shadow. Puny, insignificant, a flea. His hands wouldn’t move. Silver Shine had stopped teleporting and Yellow Bolt was frozen in place. Even Lightning Star couldn’t draw back his string.

“Twilight.” That thought gave Spike enough strength to raise his hand to his quiver. But he froze again, unable to move another inch. “Rainbow Dash.” With that thought, he closed his fingers around the feathered end of an arrow. “Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie.” The arrow slid out from the quiver and into his bow. “Starlight, Bulk, Lightning, Yellow, Thunder Star.” Pulling back that string while facing this maelstrom was the hardest thing he’d ever done. His muscles screamed and the pain blinded him. “Caramel, Brutus, Zazu, Rain Drop, Ember, Thorax, Spitfire, Soarin.” His scales were close to peeling off his body from the force of this magical power. He couldn’t see through the blinding red light, but he kept pulling back the string, thinking of his friends’ faces. “Luna, Celestia, Cadence, Shining, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Fleetfoot.” He felt his eyes straining just to stay open. It would be so easy to just give up. He couldn’t even see his own hands through the light, which seemed to devour everything in existence. Part of him wasn’t sure if he was even still alive. It was like standing on the surface of the sun, overwhelmed by raw, blistering heat and completely blinded. “Rarity.” In one final motion, he drew back the string and sent the arrow into the epicenter of the light, into Arrow Bolt’s horn. The arrow soared over a meter, before melting away into a harmless puddle that then evaporated into a steamy gas.

“Your willpower is strong, lizard.” Arrow Bolt’s voice echoed through his ears, reverberating from every inch of light, as though it was not a person speaking but a force. “But you aren’t willing to do what’s necessary to win. I on the other hoof, am willing to give up everything to achieve my vision. Let me show you!”

Arrow Bolt’s horn radiated a wave of black magic, dotting the blinding red light like the ripples of raindrops on a still pond. His eyes turned green, as dark magic pulsed throughout his being. His horn then burst, filling the maze with dark magic. The walls around the archers crumbled, burying them under a heap of rubble. The magic barrier surrounding the maze shattered, unable to contain Arrow Bolt’s incredible magic, which slammed into the barrier surrounding the arena, sending cracks across its surface. Slowly, the magic dissipated, dying down like an ember that lost its kindle.

As the dust cleared, everypony could see Arrow Bolt standing on top of the rubble with no one else in sight. His sides heaved, overtaxed by his use of dark magic. He looked older, more wrinkled and grey. The hooded ponies, once so vocal for him, were silent, horrified by the display.

Then, the rubble shifted. Rocks and debris parted, revealing a magic shield with two unicorns inside. As the magic shield dissipated, a unicorn, drained of all his magic power fell to the ground motionless. Yellow Bolt sat motionless, trying to comprehend what just happened and how he was still alive. Then, he looked to his side and saw his savior.

“White Bolt,” he whispered breathlessly. “What were you thinking?”

His brother rasped, taking pained shallow breaths. A bitter smile crossed his face. “You were right. My magic was only at its best when I was protecting you, glad I figured that out before it was too late.” His eyes closed and his body became motionless. Yellow fell on top of his brother, shaking him.

“Someone get a doctor! Please!” He wailed.

From the other side of the field, the dust cleared, showing three figures standing side by side, one of them with his outstretched hooves over the other two. That figure fell to the ground. Soon, everypony saw Lightning Star and Silver Shine, standing over Crimson Bolt, who wasn’t even breathing. Lightning rested his hoof over the stallion, whose last minute teleportation saved them.

“I’ll keep my promise,” he said to Crimson. “I will protect Yellow.”

“So will I,” Silver said without hesitation. With that, the unicorn gave one last smile before fainting. The field was a mess of bricks, dust, ice, and arrows. But through it all, Rainbow Dash couldn’t see Spike.

Some rubble shook on the far edge. With a powerful shove, the bricks flew into the air. Her hopes were ruined when she saw a muscular, scarred grey stallion with a face bloodied and bruised almost beyond recognition. Iron Bolt. He smirked at Yellow Bolt, and limped to his father’s side, leaning largely on his back hoofs for support.

Arrow Bolt turned to address his followers. “There is only one Sir Knight. Me.”

For once, the remaining supporters hesitated to cheer. Many of them lost all enthusiasm. Their Sir Knight used dark magic. He wore an amulet to bolster his strength. He never really came back to life. Arrow Bolt dismissed Spike’s accusations as lies, but they struck deep at the hooded ponies. Now, they wondered if they were supporting a lie. Sensing their hesitation, Arrow Bolt raised his voice to the sky.

“Do not doubt what your eyes can plainly see,” He exclaimed with a mighty roar. “I have vanquished the four champions! My powers are unmatched!”

“Not quite.”

Arrow Bolt’s head jerked to the source of the voice. Deep in the rubble, a bright light, like a ray of sun, shone beneath the bricks. The rubble scattered across the ground began floating into the air where it crumbled into golden showers. As the rubble cleared, everypony gawked to see Spike, still in one piece… at least in a manner of speaking. Though he stood confident and strong, his legs were shaking, his scales were either bruised, burned or battered and his breathing was so labored he sounded like he was ready to fall. He barely took a step forward before almost falling face first, just managing to keep himself up by using one of his hands.

“I’m not done yet.” Pushing off the ground, he brought himself up once again, through his own sheer willpower. He still held his bow, snapped in half by the rubble, but a magical glow seemed to burst from his body, unable to contain itself.

Rainbow Dash glanced at Discord, still motionless by her side. He had a little grin stretched across his face. She noticed a yellow fleck on the tip of his nose and several smaller flecks sprinkled across his body. She looked up and sure enough, saw golden drops falling from the sky like snowflakes. Everypony stared at the strange weather falling through the cracked barrier from the very sky above.

As the golden showers sprinkled into the ground, they converged to form a figure behind Spike: a tall, golden stallion, with a shimmering bow. He was majestic, with a braided beard, a noble hood, and valiant armor. Nopony could doubt who this was. Several hooded ponies fell to their knees, in awe. Yellow Bolt just stared as the figure from his childhood books came to life. Spike kept facing forward. No one could say if he knew or didn’t about the figure standing behind him.

“I am the one and only Sir Knight,” said the figure. “I have watched his battle, and I have witnessed this deceiver who would claim my title fight this noble dragon.”

At this word, Arrow Bolt seemed to shrink. His power of speech failed as the golden stallion stared him down behind Spike, who glared with equal venom.

“You, who would hurt others in my name, who use cheap tools rather than rely on your own power, have no claim to Sir Knight. But this young dragon, he has proven his skill, his heart, and his character. He is my true heir.”

Iron Bolt leapt at Spike with his hoof drawn back. Spike uppercut right in his jaw before the blow could fall, his fist shining with golden light. The massive stallion went flying through the air, crashing into the ground in a heap. Spike then turned his gaze at Arrow Bolt, now cowering like a shivering child.

“But, I did everything right,” He screamed in a voice that grinded like iron fillings, the voice Yellow Bolt and Silver Shine remembered. “I fought to make this world safe from dragons!”

“Silence!” Roared the stallion. He held his bow into the air. It evaporated, and reappeared in Spike’s claws, replacing his broken bow. “Dragons are not the threat to our world. Intolerance and hatred masked in righteousness are! You can claim to be my follower, but you don’t even know what I stand for.”

Through steely eyes, Spike drew back the golden bow and took aim at Arrow Bolt.

“Take off the amulet,” growled Spike. “Undo the spell cast on my friends and all the ponies here!”

Arrow Bolt took a step back, as his heart hammered through his chest. All his gravitas, power, and legend that he spent years building up were nothing in the face of this power. He drew his bow. But try as he might, he couldn’t summon the strength to fire. The arrow in Spike’s bow pulsed, with a white light tinged with a sunny golden aura. The figure behind Spike loomed larger than the world in Arrow Bolt’s mind.

“I’ll say it once again,” Spike’s emerald, serpentine eyes flickered with a golden blaze. “And this is the last time, Arrow Bolt.” Sir Knight opened his mouth and spoke with Spike, mimicking his tone and inflections perfectly. “Take off the amulet!!”

Through tears and uncontrollable shaking, Arrow Bolt clenched his teeth. “Violet Charm. My wife. Please forgive me.”

The moment he took off the amulet, the world seemed to go back into motion. The barrier surrounding the stadium fell, the time-freeze spell vanished, and Discord felt his full magic power returning to him. Using his fully restored magic power, Discord pointed his little finger and levitated the amulet over to Spike who caught it. The golden figure behind Spike turned into a beam of light, which rocketed into the sky, out of sight.

Everypony stared, lost in amazement at what transpired. The golden light bursting from Spike was gone, and the bow in his hand was his broken old bow. He began to tip over, dizzy and breathless. Someone caught him, and kept him on his feet. Looking up, he found Twilight’s smiling face staring back at him.

“We did it,” he said.

“Yes, we did. All thanks to you.”

“Spike, that was awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, rushing over to his side. “You totally wrecked it!”

“Don’t think you’ve won,” said Arrow Bolt, so softly it could have been a whisper. “There will always be people like me.”

“I know,” Said Spike. “But they’ll never win. Not in the long run.”

“And why’s that?”

“If you really have to ask, then you could never understand.”

He said nothing, bowing his head in surrender. The Royal Guards quickly surrounded Arrow Bolt. The other hooded ponies shuffled nervously, unsure what to do next.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you,” said Discord, now spotless and unblemished. He snapped his fingers, putting each hooded stallion in shackles. “Royal Guards, please take them away.”

“We don’t technically take orders from you,” said a guard.

“Just do it, trust me, it’s best not to argue with him,” said Twilight with a roll of her eyes. One by one, the hooded ponies were escorted out of the stadium. Doctors raced to attend to the injured brothers, and the wounds of the four archers, but the athletes were faster and soon surrounded the four champions.

Soon, Applejack and Fluttershy were by Spike’s side too. The crowds, waking from their daze, were now cheering his name. Ember and Thorax came and pat his shoulder. Lightning watched Spike surrounded by the revelry with a smile, when he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned around. Fleetfoot pounced on him and kissed him, knocking him over with her passionate embrace. She broke from the kiss for a single moment, so she could stare into his sky-blue gaze.

“Fleetfoot,” he whispered. “You know what I did. Can you really still love me?”

“Shut up and make out with me,” she said before diving back into his lips.

That was all the answer he needed. Squeezing her in a tight embrace, he kissed back, feeling lighter than ever before. Silver Shine laughed at the spectacle and headed out into the stadium, looking for someone. Sky Chaser, and the rest of his Fillydelphia team walked up to Yellow. He bowed his head, waiting for the worst, for all their criticisms of his performance, for falling in love with a dragon. But then, they hugged him.

“Well done, Yellow,” Said his eldest teammate without a hint of irony or doubt. “You’ve done Fillydelphia proud today.”

“You were incredible!” Said another teammate. “You beat White Bolt in a magic duel and you held your own against a crazy stallion with super magic!”

“I’m sorry we ever doubted you, Yellow,” Sky Chaser said as he placed a hoof on Yellow’s shoulder. “You’ve been through so much suffering, but even after all of it, you still don’t hate. I… I wish I had your strength.”

“Guys,” Yellow’s face turned red. He bowed his head, trying to hide his smile and his teary eyes. “Come on. Stop saying all that. You sound so silly.”

“But it’s true. You’re a hero! No matter how much you want to deny it.”

“I’m grateful to be your teammate,” said Sky Chaser with a full smile. “And, I hope, maybe in the future, we could start again? This time we’ll treat you with respect and cheer you on.”

“Yellow,” Silver’s voice called to Yellow through the crowds of his friends and new fans. “I found someone who’s been waiting to see you.”

His heart nearly melted when he saw the person standing by Silver’s side. The most gorgeous, snowy-scaled dragon with brilliant golden eyes was smiling at him.

“Frost,” He said. Without a second of hesitation, he made his way through the crowd straight to his love. When he reached the dragon, he came to a stop, struggling to find the right words. Frost stood a few inches taller than Yellow, but still had the same warm smile he knew as a child. They faced each other.

“I’m sorry,” Yellow said at last, letting his gaze fall to the ground. “I … I wanted to tell you, but I was too scared. I spent nights wandering Dragon Town just trying to muster the strength to find you.”

“I’m sorry too,” Frost said as he twiddled his claws. “I left for the Dragon Lord Trial and decided to stay. I was scared of going back to Fillydelphia. I didn’t think they’d would ever accept us.”

“You mean ponies would never accept dragons in Fillydelphia?”

“Well, yeah that too. But I mean ‘us.’ The two of us.”

His eyes looked back up at the dragon with a twinge of hope. Yellow was silent, the crowd’s cheers felt like a distant chorus as he processed what Frost just confessed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to find his courage once again.

“Frost,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot. Remembering my time in Dragon Town with you, kept me from hurting myself or just giving up on life. You’ve given me strength to do what I did today. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” He opened his eyes, red with tears. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They were silent a moment. Then, they burst out laughing.

“Wow,” said Yellow. “That was easier than I thought it’d be.”

“Yeah.”

He dragged his hoof across the ground, and hid his flushed face. “Hey? What do you say that after this we get a bite to eat or something?”

“I’d like that.”

As the two made up, Silver noticed Yellow’s teammates watching their archer with smiles. Silver glanced across the field at the new generation of archers, surrounded by love and family. Watching them laughing, kissing, and forging new bonds made him feel younger. “You know,” he thought with more peace than he’d ever known. “I don’t feel so bad about retiring after this Game anymore. After all this, I think retirement could be a nice break. Besides, looks like the future of archery is going to be incredible. I’m sorry you won’t get to see it, Arrow Bolt. But if you could overcome your own hatred and see this miracle, maybe you’d be proud too. These kids are something else.”

“Silver,” Yellow’s voice caught his ear. “Thank you.”

He nodded at the stallion, with a smile that acknowledged the young archer as his true equal. Then, he let his family and his teammates surround him with their own love.

The crowd littering the arena was thinning out to allow doctors to treat the injured archers. As a doctor examined him and washed the blood caking his scales, Spike could feel Starlight, Bulk Biceps, and Thunder Star watching him with pride. Even though he had no idea how he pulled off that light show, he was so grateful this fight was over that he didn’t even spend another thought on it. He glanced at the doctor who was rousing White Bolt from his sleep, another helping Crimson onto a stretcher, and the guards hoisting a shackled Iron Bolt off the field.

“What’s going to happen to them?” He asked Twilight.

She followed Spike’s gaze to the brothers. “They’ll spend time. Possibly life sentences. If they behave, maybe Crimson and White Bolt could get community service, prison time, and a possible house arrest release.”

“And Iron Bolt?”

“Therapy, psychologists. Depending on what they think, it’s either prison or an asylum. But I don’t see him ever bothering us again.”

“I can’t believe how you totally beat him down!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You were like ‘pow-pow-pow!’ and he just couldn’t win!”

Applejack and Fluttershy were about to laugh at Rainbow Dash’s antics, when a microphone blared over the arena and Prince Blueblood’s voice came onto the loudspeakers.

“Princess Twilight, Dragon Lord Ember, King Thorax,” he said in a barely restrained angered voice. “Please come up to my booth immediately. We have an important matter to discuss.”

“Whatever you have to say, just say it in front of everyone,” Discord said with a megaphone in front of his mouth. “Unless, you’d like me to come up there?” Discord’s neck all but immediately stretched until he was mere feet away from Blueblood.

The stallion shivered, and blustered as ponies in the crowd laughed at him. Slowly, he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

“The field is in ruins. The archers of the four leading teams are exhausted, injured, and our supply of ice arrows is practically depleted. We can’t hold the Ice Archery contest in these conditions. We should cancel the last event, and escort them to a proper hospital where they can receive the best possible care.”

“Yeah, don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing,” Said Discord. “You’re not going to just hand the victory over to Fillydelphia while I’m here.”

Discord snapped his fingers. The targets, knocked over during the fight, literally rolled back onto the field. The legs supporting them now wore ballet shoes. Ice arrows appeared from thin air and hopped in single file lines, jumping into the four archers’ empty quivers. And the rocks and debris surrounding field sprouted butterfly wings before flying off into the sky.

“Discord,” said Twilight. “You didn’t fix up Spike’s injuries.”

“Sorry, my dear. I don’t exactly fix the injuries of others. If I tried to fix anyone of them, I’m liable to replace their ribs with a candy cane… unintentionally of course.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and groaned. “It could take weeks to heal him and the others completely, even with alicorn magic. I’d have to fix Spike’s head trauma, bruised bones, and so much more that I’d need at minimum, medical encyclopedia just to know where to start. I don’t suppose you have one?”

“I’m the Spirit of Chaos, my dear. Not the Spirit of Medical Practice.”

“It’s fine, Twilight,” Said Spike through a cough. “Just fix my bow, and I’ll be good to go.”

“But you can’t compete like this.”

“I hate to say it,” said Rainbow Dash, “but she’s right. You can’t go on like that. And neither can Yellow, Lightning, or Silver.”

“Nonsense,” wheezed Silver, as a nurse wrapped a bandage around his forehead. “If that dragon’s insisting on competing, then I do too. I may be old, but I have some life in me yet.”

“I’ll participate too,” Lightning said, even as he pressed a cold pack over his black eye. “It’s only fair. And I can’t miss an Ice Archery contest.”

“I can keep going too.” Yellow said, staggering as he made his way toward the starting line, leaning on Frost for support. “I’m not about to be outdone by Spike.”

Twilight looked over at the other archers, who stood by silently. They seemed to agree that this final event was for the four archers alone. Spike tried to stand up, only to fall to his knee. With a single spell, she fixed his bow, hoisted him onto her back, and brought him to the starting line.

She placed him down. But even as he tried with all his might, he couldn’t stand up. Lightning looked at Spike and then back at his distant target. A smile crossed his face. Without a word, he walked over and helped Spike stand, letting the dragon lean on him for support.

“Lightning? What are you doing? Aren’t you gonna defend your record?”

“Like I said before Spike, records are made to be broken. Right now, there’s no one else I’d rather see win it.”

“I can’t do this to you.”

“Just swallow your pride and let me help,” Said Lightning with a chuckle. “It’s not like my aim would be all that great right now anyways with just one eye anyway.”

At last, Spike sighed and let out a smile. “Thanks. I’ll make you proud.”

“You already have. Brother.”

Spike reached behind his back for an arrow, when his shoulder flashed with pain. Joints protested his movement, and forced him to bring his hand back down. He closed his eyes bitterly, when he felt someone slipping the quiver off his back. Yellow Bolt levitated the quiver in front of Spike, and placed the first arrow into his hand.

“You too?” Said Spike with a raised eyebrow.

Yellow shrugged, a movement that brought a prick of pain back to his shoulder where the arrow struck. “I don’t think anyone of us could hit the targets on our own right now anyways.”

“You really okay with this?”

“Isn’t this what friends are supposed to do or whatever?”

“Thank you, Yellow. You’re a good friend.”

He smiled at the caramel stallion with gratitude, and was rewarded with Yellow surrendering a smile right back. This time, the smile didn’t disappear. Finally, he drew back his string, only to find his aim shaky and unsteady, jarred from the fight. Without hesitation, Silver walked over and used magic aura to steady Spike’s aim.

“I understand why you might not want my help, Spike,” said the old stallion. “After all the pain I put Yellow through, I know I have no right to pretend like I’m a good person. But let me make it up, just this once. Please. You don’t have to forgive me or accept my apology. But,” he swallowed a painful lump in his throat. “Give me this one chance. And then, we can part ways however you like.”

He looked at the three archers helping him every step of the way. Friends, rivals, and enemies united for a single purpose. It almost felt surreal. Yet, here they were standing together, the only way they could.

“Well?” Said Lightning. “You ready?

Spike eyed his distant target, let his mind slip into that perfect peaceful state, and then, he let the first arrow fly.